Drug Education and Intervention in the Workplace

25% Jump in Employer Interest in Employee Health and Wellness

Job Site wellness for their workers, businesses are discovering, is wonderful for the health of their businesses as well. Employee Wellness Programs help to cut the expenditures associated with poor employee health, which include absenteeism, loss of productivity and poor work quality.

A current Hewitt Associates survey of over 500 United States businesses indicated a valuable paradigm shift in how businesses view health benefits for their staff members. Of those surveyed this year, 88% are committed to instituting long-term medical care assistance programs (over the next 3-5 years) for their staff members, with the intention of boosting the health and productivity of their workforce. This represents a 25% increase in interest in Workplace Health Promotion Programs over 2007.

A strong offering of Corporate Health Promotion Programs to meet the demand has resulted. Health assistance providers have broadened their programs with tools that address general lifestyle factors, physical, social and psychological health factors. Programs look to predict chronic disease in their employees and give them the tools and the information to prevent it. Businesses also demand a way to measure the effectiveness of their health care spending.

“Self-care is our motive,” says Vic Lebouthillier, president of progressive health and wellness provider Exan Wellness.”We really believe giving staff members tools to help them manage their own health, and promoting the benefits, while giving people resources to reach out for help is the key to successful lifestyle modification. Corporations are also telling us they need a cost-effective way to deliver Workplace Wellness Programs. The sort of program we have developed over years delivers the highest healthcare return on investment.”

Combining worksite wellness promotions, web-based assessments and health trackers, web-based health information, phone conferences and self-help groups, and access to a wide variety of health professionals, is behind the success of the Exan program. “Having web-based statistics about employees’ health also makes it easier to track the bottom line – ROI” says Vic Lebouthillier.

“Companies are moving beyond their traditional role as a provider of health care benefits to foster holistic programs that pinpoint the specific health needs of their employee populations, drive employee behavior change and eliminate barriers to healthcare,” says Jim Winkler, leader of Hewitt’s health management consulting practice.

Nonetheless, in a separate survey of 30,000 workers, 74% said that, although they felt their business had an obligation to help them understand how to use their health benefits program, only 12% felt the business had any right to tell them how to be healthy. Based on these results, companies need to drive home the fact that improved health is better for their workers as well as the business. It’s a win-win situation.

Employers and staff members did find common ground when it came to future healthcare. Both surveys indicate that 95 percent of staff members understand that their taking care of their health today will influence future healthcare payments. A similar percentage also understand the valuable of early detection and prevention when it comes to saving on healthcare costs.

Cost is significant for most companies as well. Over 80% of those surveyed made cost mitigation a priority for 2008, but those cuts did not involve shifting responsibility for healthcare onto workers. Although 64% of companies have shifted costs to their workers, only 17% plan  to do so in the next 3-5 years. Similarly with health reimbursement accounts, 20% now offer these, but only about 5% plan  to use them in 2008.

These survey results indicate businesses are getting more proactive in supporting their employees to change behaviors and take ownership of their own health futures. This is obviously great for the wellbeing of employees, but also for the wellbeing of the businesses they work for. Almost half the businesses surveyed were convinced that changing health behaviors was key to greater work rate and reduce absentee rates. Over 60% aim  to institute programs that help employees modify and/or sustain a healthier lifestyle. Almost of these businesses will also use data and measurements to be sure their healthcare strategies meet their healthcare objectives?

It is apparent to virtually every American (especially those of us in business) that healthcare costs are skyrocketing out of control. No one doubts that either the market will solve the concern OR the government will impose one on us. Managed care has failed from either a cost containment or quality of care perspective. Businesses have reached the point where the cost of providing health insurance is almost as burdensome as government regulation. It’s time for some new thinking on healthcare and its effect on business and vice versa. “Corporate wellness” as an operational perspective rather than merely window dressing is one way to deal effectively with rising healthcare costs.

The Insurance Issue

The first step in amending the concern is to realize that an employee’s health is their own responsibility. Expecting companies to provide unlimited health care insurance coverage is simply unrealistic and unreasonable. It’s time for companies (on a broad scale) to reconsider their role in offering health care insurance coverage. Instead of offering complete coverage for all employees through group plans, companies should begin to modify the burden of health coverage to those covered.

Here’s the approach. Provide catastrophic healthcare insurance as a group benefit to all employees with a large enough deductible (say $5000 per employee) to make the cost affordable for the corporation. Then, allow employees to buy their own healthcare insurance policies (based on their own needs) and pay for them through payroll deduction with pre-tax earnings. There are numerous insurance businesses that sell individual plans on this basis. Everybody wins. Workers can tailor their coverage to their own needs and circumstances using their own doctors. Employers win by stopping the endless cycle of rising expenditures and ever-changing plans. And when people become responsible for the cost of their own insurance, they become more attentive to their own health. Besides, if an employee is interested in working for you ONLY because your corporation offers great insurance benefits aren’t they telling you they’re going to cost you more money in the future?

Establish a “Wellness Culture”

Our current “sickness culture” perpetuates the health care crisis and hastens the demise of market-based solutions. By sickness culture, I mean our focus on health problems rather than on having a healthy worksite and performance culture.

So, what would a “wellness culture” look like? First, instead of paid sick days, workers might be rewarded at year’s end with an attendance bonus. Staff Members would be reimbursed for successful completion of tobacco cessation and weight-loss programs. Companies would invest in corporate memberships at local health clubs so every employee can participate. Staff Members would be offered in-house wellness programs on a variety of issues ranging from ergonomics to stress management. Finally, companies would commit to hiring and retaining healthy workers. Simply put, healthy workers cost less and are more constructive than unhealthy ones. Applicants should be screened for health habits and practices that limit their work rate and improve the likelihood of future expense. While this may seem harsh, it rewards those workers whose personal lifestyle and habits make sure the best Return on Investment by the company committing to hire, train and pay them.

Be open to “alternative and complementary” approaches

Studies published in primary medical journals reveal that individuals who use “alternative and complementary” health modalities (including chiropractic, acupuncture, yoga and massage) are generally healthier, better educated, take fewer medications and miss fewer days from work than the average American. Since these individuals look for ways to stay healthy without prescription drugs and surgery, they end up being a net benefit in terms of attendance and productivity. Old prejudices in this area ought to be discarded in order for employers to improve productivity and increase profitability

Conclusion

Medical Care expenditures are growing at a staggering pace. Managed care is an abysmal failure. Organizations are buckling under the pressure of providing health coverage to their workers. American competitiveness in the market is sagging. These times call for extraordinary solutions. It’s time for American organizations to consider some out-of-the-box solutions to the health care crisis. Company wellness is an approach that is timely, achievable and reasonable given the alternatives. All options must be considered while we still have a chance.