Employee Wellness Programs in a Depressed Economy

Employee Wellness Programs and Medical Care Costs

Employee Wellness Programs are more important now than ever.  A recent article in the Wall Street  Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of employer provided health care keep  continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change.  The article states that during the  year 2008, American companies can expect to see an increase of 10% in health care costs.

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

Employee Wellness Programs for Healthier Lifestyles

Employee Wellness Programs do provide an option for small companies.  The corporations can provide  discounted co-pays and deductibles to those employees that fully participate in the provided Employee  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 reduce the overall health care costs for the corporation.  Just one  lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ health care budget.

Employee Wellness Programs and Your Bottom Line

Employee Wellness Programs provide many advantages to a corporation’s bottom-line. Company Health and  Wellness Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per person  enrolled in a Company Health and Wellness Program compared to an expense of $574 per worker that wasn’t  enrolled.  Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of member absenteeism dropping by 18%,  thus greater production and less health care costs overall.