.jpg)
With potential tax breaks coming in the future, worksite wellness has come to the forefront of the health care reform discussion. Wellness programs are seen as a solution to ever-burgeoning costs related to lifestyle risk factors such as obesity, inactivity and smoking.
Even without a guarantee of economic assistance, many U.S. employers are continuing to push forward with their wellness efforts. In recent years, worksite wellness programs have surged in popularity.
Slightly more than 60 percent of companies with 10,000 or more employees said they had a wellness program in 2008, up from 47 percent in 2005, according to the MetLife survey. A 2007 Hewitt survey found that 57 percent of employers with 500 or more workers provide some sort of wellness program such as smoking cessation, weight management, an exercise plan or cancer screening.
With the recent economic downturn forcing layoffs and budget cuts, wellness could be seen as an unnecessary expense for many companies. But those who choose to ignore or eliminate wellness programs may pay dearly in the long-term.
Nearly half of employees surveyed by the National Business Group on Health in July said work demands prevent them from having a healthier life. Almost 60 percent of those surveyed by the American Heart Association in March said the economy has affected their ability to take care of their health. Among workers who do have access to wellness programs, research shows two out of five participate in such programs as disease prevention and one in six in programs for quitting smoking or losing weight.
Healthcare costs for the nation's employers are expected to grow by another nine percent next year, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute. Employers who commit to wellness as a solution could reap the many benefits of their investment. Companies save from $1.49 to $4.91 in health-related expenses for every dollar spent on wellness programs, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Comments