Most U.S. companies concede in a new survey that it's going to take more than health care reform legislation to curb rising health care costs, and that the workplace should play a pivotal role in encouraging healthy behaviors.
To mark the start of National Employee Wellness Month this June, Virgin HealthMiles, a provider of employee wellness programs, released a new survey of more than 1,000 employers on the topic of wellness initiatives and employee health.
According to the survey, 85 percent of U.S. companies surveyed believe the newly-enacted legislation alone won't make for a healthier America, but that other measures must be put in place to curb rising health care costs.
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Furthermore, 62 percent of American businesses and nearly 85 percent of employees say the workplace must play a leadership role in creating a healthier workforce and helping to curb rising health care costs.
"Between rising health care costs and The Milken Institute's estimated $1 trillion lost economic output associated with chronic health problems, American businesses are facing an economic crisis of epic proportions if more isn't done to create a healthier workforce," said Chris Boyce, CEO of Virgin HealthMiles, in a press release.
"Responses from this survey support our experience that organizations recognize the importance of helping employees live healthier lifestyles. We're excited that more than 80 companies and over 20,000 of their employees have lent their support to this year's National Employee Wellness Month. They serve as tremendous examples that other organizations can learn from to improve workforce health and better control health care costs."
Additional Key Survey Findings
- Mixed perceptions towards impact of health care reform on wellness: More than 43 percent of employers said they "closely watched" the outcome of health care reform before shaping their corporate wellness/employee health initiatives, while nearly 35 percent indicated they "didn't wait" and had already implemented such initiatives.
- Multiple drivers pushing double-digit spikes in health care costs: 40 percent of companies surveyed indicate their health care costs have risen between six and 10 percent in the past year, with nearly 35 percent reporting a spike of more than 11 percent. Top drivers of cost increases included rising medical inflation, pharmaceutical and hospital costs, and an overall decline in the health of the general workforce as a result of a rise in chronic conditions.
- Employees want employers to take an active role in creating a healthy workplace: More than 62 percent of the 1,012 employer respondents and nearly 85 percent of the 1,926 employee respondents believe an employer has a responsibility to take a leadership role in encouraging and promoting workplace health.
- Multiple strategies tapped to lower health care costs: Of the 8.5 percent of companies that reported a decrease in annual health care costs, eliminating coverage, moving to different health care plans, implementation of effective employee wellness programs and cost shifting to employees were the top drivers.
- Employees take health cues from supervisors and co-workers: Nearly three-quarters of employees surveyed said they would be more willing to adopt healthful lifestyle behaviors if their colleagues were doing so; 60 percent said they would adopt such behaviors if company executives were leading by example.
- Flexibility, financial incentives and goal tracking key to employee commitment to wellness: When asked which elements keep them on track towards improved wellness, top responses included program flexibility, financial rewards and the ability to set goals and track personal progress.
Organizations and Their Employees Share the Benefits of Workplace Wellness: View the YouTube video.
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