Wellness Programs Provide Long-Term Results

Wellness programs, according to an article in Crain’s Detroit Business, come in two choices:  workplace wellness programs or health insurance products that aim at lower costs if healthy habits are followed.  Both options are a good choice, but only one will really provide long-term health benefits for your employees and lower costs over the years.

Wellness Programs Offer Assistance

Insurance-based products offer employees the opportunity, according to the article by Jay Green, to save money on their premiums if they follow certain steps, including performing an online health assessment, visiting their physician, and agree to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  These plans usually involve one coach call to the employee during the first 90 days.  We wonder if these brief wellness encounters will actually change a person’s lifestyle.

It is the overall change in a person’s lifestyle, as well as disease prevention that will lead to lower health costs in the future.

Onsite workplace wellness programs, like the ones that EmployeeWellnessUSA works with you to establish in your place of business, offers convenient health risk assessments and screening tests for things like diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure.  As the article states, these have initial start-up costs, but the savings accrue over time and employees are more likely to stay active in an onsite employee wellness program.

Wellness Programs Get Results

Finally, the article states that companies with an effective employee wellness program can expect to see “500 percent lower absenteeism, 400 percent fewer disability claims, and 350 percent lower health care costs.”  These are numbers that are very hard to argue with.

If you are ready to start seeing those numbers in your company, contact one of our wellness experts today.  They are there to answer all of your questions, as well as provide you with a free wellness proposal.

Wellness Programs Becoming Popular

Wellness programs are becoming popular outside the workplace, showing the ever-increasing importance of disease prevention and health risk management.  Private insurance companies, as well as state Medicaid and Medicare offices are working on ways to improve the health of the people they insure in hopes to save money in the long run.  They are finding that mini-wellness programs are definitely the way to go.

Wellness Programs Help with Early Intervention

According to an article that appeared in The Indianapolis Star, employers, insurers and government agencies are turning to “early intervention to change the behavior of those struggling with common but dangerous health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart failure and coronary heart disease.”
The tactics that they incorporate to improve their beneficiaries’ wellness postcard reminders for different lab tests or check-ups; and possibly even phone calls from nurses to work with the patients to make sure that they are taking their medicines properly and following the lifestyle changes that were suggested by their health care provider.

Wellness Programs Offer Quality Benefits

There are more benefits to a wellness program than just the cost savings that an employer or a state agency will see; there is the benefit to the actually patient.  The patient is going to get the motivation and the incentive to get better or to manage their health and their health risks by having to answer to someone, whether that someone is a full-time wellness employee at their company or a nurse affiliated with their insurance company.

Wellness Programs are Customized for Your Company

EmployeeWellnessUSA.com understands all the benefits that a wellness program can provide to the employer and to the employee and is here to help you get a custom corporate wellness program started today.  Call one of our wellness experts today and answer their questions so that they can put together a free wellness proposal for you and your company.

Wellness Programs

Wellness programs are a healthy investment, at least according to Lincoln industries in Nebraska.  CNN reported on this 565 employee company located in Lincoln, Nebraska and their serious and committed investment in their employee’s wellness.

Wellness Programs are part of Company Culture

The wellness program, according the story, has been in place for 16 years at Lincoln industries, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.  The company has three full-time employees dedicated to the wellness program and the wellness of the employees, who receive on-site massages and a round of instructor-led stretching before they start their shifts.

Wellness Programs Assessed

According to CNN, one of the stipulations of the wellness program, which employees are not required to participate in, is that they receive quarterly checkups where assessments are completed on their weight, amount of body fat and flexibility.  Based on these health assessments, the employees are then ranked from platinum all the way down to “non-medal”.  To become platinum level, where you receive a company-paid climbing trip, you must achieve certain fitness levels and be a non-smoker.  Smoking cessation classes are part of the wellness program.

Wellness Programs Bring Big Savings

The wellness program has been a wise investment for Lincoln Industries.  By having healthier employees, they have seen an average of $2 million in savings in health care costs per year.  The savings don’t stop there, since instituting a wellness program, workers’ compensation claims have gone from $500,000 per year down to less than $10,000 per year.

Wellness Programs are the Right Investment

EmployeeWellnessUSA.com was established to help companies like Lincoln Industries see the rewards and savings a wellness program can bring.  Employee wellness benefits everyone’s bottom-line with a decrease in loss wages due to illness or injury, employees see the ROI from their time and commitment.

Wellness proposals are available free of charge from EmployeeWellnessUSA and offer insight into the wellness program that is right for your company.  Contact one of our wellness representatives today and start seeing a healthier bottom-line.

Employee Wellness and Healthcare Costs

Employee wellness programs are important now more than ever.  According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of employer provided healthcare 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. employers can expect to see an increase of 10% in healthcare costs.

This increase in health care costs is causing some small businesses to reduce their employee health benefits or get rid of them altogether.

Employee Wellness for Healthier Lifestyles

Employee wellness programs do provide an option for small businesses.  The corporations can offer discounted co-pays and deductibles to those employees that fully participate in the offered corporate 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 employees, the lower the overall healthcare costs for the corporation.  Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ healthcare budget.

Employee Wellness and Your Bottom Line

Employee wellness programs provide many advantages to a company’s bottom-line.  Corporate wellness statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in a wellness program compared to an expense of $574 per employee that wasn’t enrolled.  Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%, thus greater production and less healthcare costs overall.

Employee Wellness is Smart Business Decision

With the down economy and the increase in healthcare costs, deciding to implement a wellness program is a smart business decision.  Not to mention, it is very simple to do with the help of our wellness representatives.  They will work with your staff in putting together the best and most appropriate wellness program for your employees.  Contact them today to receive your free wellness proposal and start cutting your healthcare costs.