Employers that incorporate acknowledged best practices into their employee wellness plans can expect a small but significant return on their investment.
The best designed and managed wellness plans can save nearly 2 percent on their medical costs, a report from Mercer and the Health Enhancement Research Organization said.
Mercer and HERO have developed a proprietary scorecard that attempts to help employers, providers, and other stakeholders identify and learn about employee health management best practices. The tool allows employers to evaluate their employee health management efforts and to benchmark their program and outcomes against companies of similar sizes and industries.
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The report found that organizations that did well on the scorecard for their wellness programs experienced a reduction of roughly 1.6 percent over three years in inflation-adjusted health care costs, compared with "low" scorers whose cost trend remained stable.
The report is based on data from the scoreboard which shares the results of six studies that were conducted over the past two years.
"Data continues to show that the most effective wellness programs are those that combine strategies which encourage people to take the first step toward improving health, along with the cultural and leadership support to make those positive changes last," said Steven Noeldner, Mercer partner and chair of the HERO Research Study Subcommittee.
Additional findings from the report include:
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60 percent of employers make healthy food choices available in the workplace.
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57 percent of employers have implemented tobacco-free workplace policies.
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Nearly half (46 percent) of employers use tracking devices and wearables, such as pedometers, glucometers and automated scales to transmit biometric data directly to a data repository for people with conditions like congestive heart failure, obesity and diabetes.
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45 percent of employers use some sort of social media or social challenge to increase engagement and participation in health management programs.
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Approximately 39 percent of employers enable employees to engage with the workplace wellness program using their smartphone or mobile device.
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36 percent of employers allow employees to take time away from work during the day for physical activity.
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28 percent of employers allow employees to take time during the workday to reduce stress.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
