Employment-Based Health Promotion and Wellness Programs

Résumé du livre

Employers, facing renewed health care cost growth, may emphasize health promotion and wellness programs for their employees in order to control health care spending. This article assesses health promotion objectives, plan prevalence and effectiveness, and recently released regulations that will affect many of these programs. Objectives of the programs include improving and sustaining employee health, increasing worker productivity, recruiting and retaining good employees, improving employee morale, reducing absenteeism due to illness, and reducing health care costs. The programs target lifestyle behaviors that impact health, such as smoking, nutrition, exercise, and stress. Large companies are more likely than small companies to offer health promotion activities or programs, and case studies show declines in health risks and savings in health care costs. Recent regulations on financial rewards for wellness and privacy of health information provide a framework in which certain health promotion programs may operate.