Wellness Program Blog

Over the past several years health care insurance premiums have risen at a steady pace. This is taking a toll on the bottom-line of employers, cutting into profits, limiting growth and forcing a reevaluation of a once sacred employee benefit system. According to a projection by McKinsey & Co., at the present rate, by 2008 health benefits will eclipse profits at the average Fortune 500 company.

Companies, through private health care insurance employers, are the leading provider of medical services in the U.S.. In 2004, 59.8 percent of American citizens were covered by a company-based health care insurance program, accounting for 88 percent of all private health care insurance. Yet the increasing costs of Health Care, ever-increasing drug prices and a steady rise in chronic illnesses have brought the corporate world to a breaking point.

For many employers the increasing burden has become too difficult to carry. Over the past five years health care insurance premiums have raised an average of 11.6 percent each year, more than four times the average rate of inflation and employee earnings over that time.3 Not surprisingly, this exponential growth in premiums has caused the number of employers offering Health Care services during that time to drop from 69 percent to 60 percent.4 In addition, in 2005,  health care insurance premiums jumped 9.2 percent, more than three times the rate of inflation – and that was the lowest increase in the past five years.

In this environment employers need to discover innovative ways to mitigate the rising costs of Health Care coverage. Seemingly, the easiest strategies to accomplish this goal would be to reduce benefits coverage or pass on agrowing burden to workers and retirees. Greater than 80 percent of employers have chosen one or both of these cost saving measures in the past several years and almost half of all big employers are likely to increase the amount workers pay in 2007.5

However, these approaches do nothing to address the fundamental causes of rising premiums, one of which is a population that requires increased healthcare. To make a lasting and meaningful effect on premiums and central health, employers need to look beyond a traditional reactive-based approach.

The keys to a efficacious wellness program are persistent one-on-one outreach and follow-up counseling to encourage health improvement, adherence to treatment regimens, changes in lifestyle behaviors, and to prevent relapse. Regualr outreach and follow-up procedures offer workers with a safety net which keeps them involved in the program and prevents treatment dropout and relapse.

Counselors ought to follow up on workers at least every 6 months throughout the career of the employee at the workplace. The objectives of follow-up are to:

• Involve workers who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.
• Involve all workers in health improvement programs and workplace-wide wellness activities.
• Support workers in carrying out the risk reduction or health improvement activities they have chosen.
• Help workers comply with their treatment regimens.
• Prevent relapse.
• Prevent workers from dropping out.
• Help workers maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up can be conducted in person, by phone, mail, and via computer if the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact. Computer programs which can do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

People with multiple health risks ought to be at the top of the list. People in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks ought to also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others.

People who need a medical care assessment for elevated Blood Pressure (BP) or blood lipids ought to also be targeted early. Many workers will have seen their doctors as a result of the evaluation, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks can be followed up each year.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. At minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek medical care assessment for elevated Blood Pressure (BP) readings, elevated blood lipid readings, or borderline elevated blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors.

It may include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other primary risk factors: at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Physicians

A letter (see forms) ought to be sent to the physician or clinic of each employee who has elevated Blood Pressure (BP), elevated blood lipids, or is under a physician’s care.

The letter ought to explain the program and ought to include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the physician ought to be repeated every 6 months until it is determined that the employee is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is valuable for three reasons:

• The doctors receive workers’ health measurements taken at the workplace.
• You receive the Blood Pressure (BP) and blood lipid readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes. Many times the employee does not have this information or does not remember it. The information can be used when counseling the employee.
• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.

Employees breathe life and value into your company.  Within the modern worksite there are increasing instances of stress, anxiety, obesity, depression, and heart disease.  The modern worksite has become increasingly exercise-free.

 

Technological advances have lessened the need to “walk” at work.  Moving a mouse has the same level of physical exertion as pressing the buttons on a remote control.  Emails, the fax, and the internet have meant that it is possible to run a company without having to leave the chair.  The “advances” affect physical and mental health in a disastrous manner ultimately affecting your company’s profit.

 

A sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for disaster – heart disease, chronic back pain, repetitive stress disorder, and low employee self-esteem are symptomatic of a work environment in which the only exercise available is surfing the net.  Corporation morale will invariably suffer if an exercise policy is not endorsed and put in place.

 

Regular exercise can significantly improve workplace health.  Instances of absenteeism and staff turnover, low staff morale and decreased productivity can be alleviated with a Employee Health and Wellness Program that energizes and motivates tired staff members.  Boredom, repetitive motion injuries and workplace tiredness can only be combated with physical and mental stimulation. 

 

Studies show, staff members who are physically active on a regular basis record less sick days each year and are more energetic, dynamic, and industrious.  Investing in the health of your staff pays dividends through increased productivity and goodwill.  Physically active staff members are happy staff members.

 

• Lowering medical insurance and compensation costs through decreased need for medical services

• Increasing productivity

• Lowering rates of absence

• Increasing morale

• Lowering stress

 

On top of improving the health of your staff, a comprehensive Employee Health and Wellness Program shows your staff members you care about their well-being.

 

Golds Gym Employee Health and Wellness Programs is committed to creating a healthy, active workforce, providing employers with training incentives for staff members at our state-of-the-art facilities. Golds Gym Employee Wellness also provides training services and facility design at your office location.

 

Incorporating all aspects of fitness training (strength, core, cardiovascular, flexibility), performing comprehensive fitness assessments, designing personalized fitness initiatives, and dynamic group training initiatives.  We take pride in our talented, professional staff members who provide creative and effective Employee Health and Wellness Programs for diverse workforces.

 

Golds Gym Employee Health and Wellness Program’s staff members reach beyond the walls of the excercise center to motivate, educate, and encourage staff members to embrace and maintain healthy active lifestyles.  Applying practical experience the Golds Gym Employee Health and Wellness Program delivers dynamic cost-effective Employee Health and Wellness Program that help staff members work happier, harder, and healthier.

 

To motivate your staff members to exercise, eat better, and lose weight, you could invest heavily in facilities, equipment, and staffing to develop worksite Employee Health and Wellness Programs for staff members, thereby hopefully creating a healthier, more productive workforce.  However, the problem with corporate excercise facilities is that staff members spend one quarter of their lives at work and typically are not motivated enough to come in early or stay late to do an exercise program.

 

Golds Gym Employee Health and Wellness Programs provides attractive discounts for businesses to train at our professionally coordinated facilities.  When your company becomes a member of our Employee Health and Wellness Program, your staff members are eligible for savings off of our regular training rates.  No matter what size of company you keep, we have a Employee Health and Wellness Program to keep it healthy, happy, and working strong.

 

• Coca Cola reported saving $500 per worker every year after starting a Employee Health and Wellness Program with only 60 percent of their staff members taking part.

• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after starting a Employee Health and Wellness Program.

• Coors Brewing Company reported that for each dollar spent on their Employee Health and Wellness Program they saw a $5.50 return and the staff members who participated decreased their absentee rate by 18%.

• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for staff members taking part in their program were $312 as opposed to $574 for non-members (American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 2004).

 

To learn more about Gold’s Gym Employee Health and Wellness Programs contact us at (336) 725-8624.