Posted by Employer Wellness | Posted in Employer Wellness | Posted on 31-10-2008
Employee Health Promotion Programs and Healthcare Costs
Employee Health Promotion Programs are more important now than ever. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of employer offered health care keep continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change. The article states that during the year 2008, U.S. organizations can expect to see an increase of 10% in health care costs.
This increase in health care costs is causing some small organizations to reduce their staff member health benefits or get rid of them altogether.
Employee Health Promotion Programs for Healthier Lifestyles
Employee Health Promotion Programs do provide an option for small organizations. The corporations can provide discounted co-pays and deductibles to those staff members that fully participate in the offered Employee Health Promotion Program. Full participation means getting health screens, receiving a health risk assessment, and then working with their wellness coordinator to work towards a healthier lifestyle.
The healthier the staff members, the lower the overall health care costs for the corporation. Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ health care budget.
Employee Health Promotion Programs and Your Bottom Line
Employee Health Promotion Programs provide many advantages to a company’s bottom-line. Employer Wellness Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in a Employer Wellness Program compared to an expense of $574 per staff member that wasn’t enrolled. Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%, thus greater production and less health care costs overall.