As health care costs continue to rise, more and more corporations are beginning to adopt wellness programs for their employees. These programs are both a benefit to the employee and a cost savings to the employer. When properly implemented, they can also have an impact on the overall health care marketplace, helping to drive down health care costs on a national level.
Benefits for the Employee
According to BusinessWeek.com, workplace wellness programs can have a dramatic affect on employees' health and well-being. Many wellness programs offer counseling and nurse practitioner assistance for those with, or at high risk for, diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart disease and others. Some wellness programs even offer participating employees discounts on health insurance premiums.
Benefits for the Employer
According to the March 2004 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," the way people eat and their sedentary lifestyles were the number one contributor to death in the United States. Workers' lifestyles and health habits are targeted through wellness programs, helping prevent diseases before they happen, which helps keep employees out of the hospital.
According to a report published in the December 2005 edition of the "American Journal of Preventive Medicine," for every dollar invested by an employer in wellness programs targeted at workers, employers can expect to see between $3 to $6 in return, making wellness programs an excellent return on investment.
Benefits for the Marketplace
According to a study published in 2005 by the "American Journal of Health Promotion," wellness programs can result in a 26 percent reduction in the use of health care benefits and a 28 percent reduction in workers taking sick leave. When employers are spending less on their employees' health care and sick leave costs, it results in better and more stable profits. This can have a direct impact on the economy as a whole. If every company across the country implemented proper wellness programs and incentivized their employees to follow them, it could have a significant impact on the overall economy.
Member Comments