Healthy Dose
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By Brooke Knudson   
Thursday, 31 May 2007
smc Employee health
They say a healthy employee is a happy employee, but good health can also mean big profits for business.
If the saying holds true that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” smart – or should we say “healthy” – companies that have implemented companywide wellness programs are pulling their own weight by proactively improving the well-being of and healthcare costs associated with its work force.

In many cases, corporate wellness programs are a proven way to lower healthcare costs for the employee and the employer, yet many companies have not latched on to the concept and implemented a wellness program. If you’re one of these companies, consider this: According to the Partnership for Prevention, more than 95 percent of our nation’s healthcare expenditures are committed to diagnosing and treating disease after it has taken hold. In 2006, employer health insurance premiums increased 7.7 percent – nearly twice the rate of inflation as reported by the National Coalition for Healthcare.

If the rising cost of health insurance isn’t enough to sway companies to implement a health and wellness program, increasing the bottom line likely will. As the Disease Management Association of America explains, a bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives would assist companies in offering wellness initiatives. The act would provide tax credits to employers offering preventative screenings, risk assessment, health counseling services and other wellness initiatives to employees. Known as the Wellness and Prevention Act of 2007, the bill would authorize the federal government to provide as much as $20,000 in loan assistance to physicians receiving board certification in preventive medicine from 2008 to 2012.

In addition, the act would create a tax credit for wellness programs of up to $200 per employee for employers who create programs that include health risk assessments; a minimum of two annual preventative health screenings; offer annual consultations on preventive healthcare topics; and include as participants at least 50 percent of the full-time work force.

Although boosting the bottom line often means a return on investment, quantifying the impact of a corporate wellness program is not as easily understood. On average, employers see less absenteeism, spend less on short-term disability costs and may even see the financial rewards of a more-productive, focused employee.

To elicit employee buy-in and ensure your company will benefit financially from a corporate wellness program, consider offering low-cost, easy-to-access programs. For example, consider sponsoring a walking/running club, provide a lunch-and-learn wellness seminar, circulate health newsletters or provide inexpensive, healthy snacks in the break room once or twice per week.

If the majority of employers begin to promote healthy lifestyles as an effective strategy to increase profits and the well-being of society, they, too, will soon discover that fitness really is good business.  USBR
 
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