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Wedding and birthday toasts always
include wishes for a long and
healthy life. For businesses that run employee wellness programs, there
are other benefits in addition to longer,
healthier lives for executives and employees. These benefits accrue both to the
business and to the worker, as long as the
company’s executives move the program
in the right direction.

Phyllis Marino, senior vice president for
the Akron General Health System, says
there are multiple benefits to programs
that keep workers fit and healthy. She
emphasizes the hidden payoff of keeping
employees fit, healthy and ready to work,
as opposed to the lost time and productivity caused by sickness and the resulting
absenteeism.

Smart Business spoke with Marino
about employee wellness programs, what
employers should look for in them and
how they can enhance business.

Other than better health, what are some typical benefits one would expect from a wellness program?

Wellness programs offer many benefits
for the companies that offer them. If you
analyze the U. S. health care system today,
providers get paid for taking care of people
when they are sick in some way. It’s not
really health care; it’s sick care. As a nation,
we have become dependent on our
employers — through our health care
providers — to fix us when we’re better,
and many of us don’t take care of ourselves
like we should. At Akron General, we
believe in what we call ‘well care.’ We
believe that in the long run, it is less expensive to keep people healthy than to pay to
cure them after long illnesses or chronic
diseases. So if companies were to spend
their dollars with wellness programs, it will
eventually decrease their overall costs.

The general rule of thumb is that a company saves $3 for every $1 spent on a wellness program. In addition to the cost benefits, companies that offer wellness programs have employees with better morale
and lower absenteeism because healthy
employees are more productive, engaged
and creative. Because these programs are viewed positively as an employee benefit,
companies offering these programs have a
more engaged work force.

What sort of payback and savings come from
wellness programs?

The length of the payback period differs
from company to company. Much of the
payback period depends on how many
employees are at risk for serious health
issues, such as chronic diseases. Not a lot
of data are available, but some companies
can see results in one year. For many people, simply beginning an exercise program
can start to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Of course, dietary changes
can also do the same thing.

A few astute insurers are beginning to
offer cost savings to employers who offer
wellness benefits. What generally happens, however, is that insurers are more
likely to offer their own wellness programs — such as smoking cessation or
lifestyle coaching — instead of offering
discounts to companies that provide their
own wellness services. One of the most
common programs is assistance with
smoking cessation. Companies with more employees who are at risk for greater
occurrence of chronic diseases would
probably see the most savings.

How does a business assure a reduction in
health insurance costs from its provider?

At this point in time, few insurers offer
such assurances. However, the trend
toward this movement is gathering steam.
Certainly, the long-term viability of consumer-directed health plans will mandate
that people become more responsible for
keeping themselves healthy. Companies
that work with reasonable insurance
providers should be able to negotiate good
faith reductions with them. It really is a
matter of collaboration. Insurers will opt
for working toward the greater good. Even
though a company may not receive a discount on insurance premiums yet, the day
will come. And we still have many reasons
to offer wellness programs — a more
engaged work force, lower absenteeism,
increased production. The cost benefits of
better health will prove themselves.

Do wellness programs make workers less
injury prone on the job, as well?

All people gain alertness when they
engage in a regular exercise program. A
higher degree of alertness would translate
into fewer injuries.

Is there a particular area — exercise, smoking cessation — that pays off best?

Not really. It’s often easier for companies
to begin with smoking cessation, however,
due to the assistance provided by insurers.
Some companies begin with fitness programs; others begin with a complete health
risk assessment. Research shows that 25
percent of Americans lead sedentary lives
and that is particularly true of people who
have desk jobs. Any program that gets
them on their feet and active will help
throughout their lives.

PHYLLIS MARINO is the senior vice president of marketing and public relations for the Akron General Health System. Reach her at
[email protected].