Originally published June 25 2005
Employers are best served by helping maintain employee health
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
As the cost of health care continues to escalate, many U.S. businesses are searching for ways to lower their costs, and disease management and wellness programs are one of the best ways, because healthy employees cost companies less in missed work and health insurance expenses.
With health care costs and complications escalating in the United States, wellness and disease management programs are being touted as a solution with a significant return on investment.
During an annual conference for America's Health Insurance Plans in Las Vegas last week, more than 3,000 health leaders -- many from the insurance industry -- gathered to discuss ways to curb costs.
Although employers are passing on more health costs to employees they still cover the bulk of the bills, which is why they are desperate for cost-containing solutions.
The programs are voluntary but have high participation rates because financial incentives are involved.
That's where health care is going," said J. Mark McConnell, senior director of business development of American Healthways, a provider of case and disease management services.
McConnell and Darren Hodgdon, chief executive of LifeStart Wellness Network and former CEO of Health IQ Diagnostics, discussed ways health plans and employers could incorporate wellness and disease management into the workplace.
Programs that result in long-term financial results offer money to healthy employees and "shift more of the costs to employees with risk factors that do nothing," he said.
In order to legally provide such programs employers should focus on promoting good health, allow a reasonable amount of time -- six to 12 months -- for employees to change their behaviors and use financial incentives tied to premiums or deductibles, he said.
Dr. Ronald Leopold, national medical director of MetLife Group Disability, said, about 20 percent of the population drives 80 percent of the health care costs and people with chronic conditions often end up on short-term disability, which further increases employers' costs.
� Southern Hills Hospital's laboratory was awarded accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists.
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