Picking the Right Kind of Wellness Program.                  

Research shows that untargeted health-promotion campaigns have little long-term impact.                  

Chronic conditions, which rob person and families of their health and happiness, represent major costs to corporations in the form of health-care and disability costs, lost productivity, and absenteeism.                  

Wellness Programs should address risky behaviors that can help your workers eat healthier, increase their level of exercise, help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and quit smoking. Wellness programs should focus on assisting workers achieve and maintain their optimal health status.

Robust worksite-health programs focused on changing lifestyle behavior have been shown to yield a $3 to $6 return on investment for each dollar invested. It takes about three to five years after the initial program investment to realize these savings.

Ninety-three% of U.S.  businesses offer some kind of health-promotion program for their employees, but is it the right type?

Primary Types of Wellness Programs

Programs focusing on disease management. These programs monitor and treat specific diseases. Disease management follows the 80/20 rule -  80% of health-care costs are spent on 20% of workers.

Illness management is reported to have a $7 to $10 return on investment within a year. the 20 percent of workers requiring the greatest medical expenditures today are ordinarily different 20 percent who’ll cause the greatest health care expenses a year or two down the road.

Programs focusing on health enhancement and risk management. These programs focus on lifestyle behavior change, and offer a $3 to $6 return on investment within two to five years, as reported by a 2004 report issued by the National Corporation Group on Health.

It is important to note that a $3 to $6 return on an entire staff member population produces a higher total savings than does disease management.

Good Data Drives Good Business Decisions

• Based on more than 120 research studies, the National Business Group on Health stated that, within five years of program implementation, overall benefit-to-cost ratios (return on investment) of -

• $3.48 in decreased health-care costs per dollar invested.

• $5.82 in decrease absenteeism per dollar invested.