Wellness Programs for Healthy and Happy Employees

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Wellness Programs for Healthy and Happy Employees

• BY
• wellnessalliancehawaii.com

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The concept of preventive health and wellness
programs offered by Hawaii healthcare
organizations is not new. In recent years,
however, there has been an increased focus on
these programs as our nation's healthcare
expenditure is expected to increase to 20 percent
of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2015, and
as an emphasis on healthy lifestyles becomes even
more pertinent. President Obama himself has
articulated a desire to promote public health by
requiring coverage of preventive services, like
cancer screenings, and even intends to create a
new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help
small businesses provide affordable health
insurance to their employees. These ideas are
optimistic in our current economic outlook, and
given the waning confidence in the economy making
a quick recovery, many small businesses may be
looking to modify their health insurance benefits
for employees, or are perhaps shopping around for
a new policy. To those organizations, a keen
focus on the benefits of their policy is
absolutely necessary to maintain employee health
and productivity, and improve their own bottom
line in the face of many hard challenges. Small
and large businesses alike are looking for health
insurance providers that can be their partners.
They are looking for ways policy providers can
assist them in keeping employees healthy -
because healthy employees are productive
employees. At the same time, businesses need
reassurance that their investment in wellness
programs will not only benefit employees but also
their healthcare expenses.
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For those small business - and that may be
you - there is hope. A 2008 study measuring the
return on investment for employee wellness
programs showed that employers could save
approximately 1.65 in healthcare expenses for
every dollar spent on a comprehensive employee
wellness program. The study, published in the
Journal of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine (JOEM), found that reduced inpatient
costs yielded the highest return on investment,
in part because of increased use of screenings
and medications among employees. This study
emphasizes that when looking for a new healthcare
policy, small businesses should take a close look
at the provider's wellness and preventive
programs. Some of the best healthcare providers
offer wellness programs like discounted gym
memberships, health education and awareness,
counseling, flu prevention and even programs to
evaluate whether employees can reduce their
medication co-pays. Not only do these programs
lead to healthier and more productive workers,
but they ensure that the company's most important
asset - its employees - are cared for.
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Once you've narrowed down your list to a few
providers, take into account not just their risk
or premiums, but what value-added services they
offer. Similar to purchasing a new car, buyers
should weigh how the dealer treats them once
they've bought the car and driven off the lot. Is
the dealer responsive and friendly? Do you call
for weeks trying to schedule a maintenance
check-up and only reach a recording? Do they take
care of your vehicle in a timely and efficient
manner? Employees in the same way need periodic
"check-ups" on their health to make sure they are
performing to the best of their abilities, and a
responsive provider of healthcare in Hawaii will
prove the most valuable for them and the small
business they work for.