Employee Wellness Programs and Health Care Costs
Employee Wellness 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 corporation offered health care keep continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change. The article notes that during the year 2008, United States companies can expect to see an increase of 10% in health care costs.
This increase in health care costs is causing some small companies to reduce their staff member health benefits or get rid of them altogether.
Employee Wellness Programs for Healthier Lifestyles
Employee Wellness Programs do provide an option for small companies. The corporations can provide discounted co-pays and deductibles to those workers that fully participate in the offered Employee Wellness 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 workers, the reduce the overall health care costs for the corporation. Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ health care budget.
Employee Wellness Programs and Your Bottom Line
Employee Wellness Programs provide many advantages to a organization’s bottom-line. Workplace Health Promotion Plan Statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in a Workplace Health Promotion Plan 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.
