A new report claims health coaching is a good way for employers to get a good bang for their buck when designing wellness programs.
HealthFitness, a firm which sets up wellness programs for employers, says although only 30 percent of employees typically sign up for health coaching when it's offered, these workers provide 70 percent of the cost-savings employers achieve by implementing a wellness program.
The average employee who participates in a health coaching program saves the company an average of $586 a year, or 11.6 percent of average annual medical costs, HealthFitness claims. In contrast, the non-coached employees achieve an average savings of $261 a year through their engagement in other wellness-related initiatives.
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While most Americans get steadily heavier throughout their life, HealthFitness touts results from its study that suggest those who take up health coaching won't gain weight quite as fast.
The average coached participant gained 0.24 pounds over the course of the year, it notes, while the average non-coached employee gained 0.8 pounds.
The impact of workplace wellness programs is a subject of ongoing debate among health care and management experts.
HealthFitness has been the focus of particular scrutiny over a wellness program it administers for Nebraska state employees.
Its claim in 2013 that it saved the state millions of dollars and helped more than 500 state employees identify early cancers caught the attention of prominent wellness critic Al Lewis, who accused the company of lying. In response, the company conceded that what it had termed as "cancers" were almost entirely benign tumors or polyps and lesions that could lead to cancer, although it insisted that the detection of such things were important nevertheless.
While wellness vendors have argued that the encouraging employees to exercise or eating healthier will save companies money on health care expenses, independent research has turned up very little evidence that such efforts produce a discernible return on investment.
A study of a decade's worth of wellness programs by RAND last year found compelling evidence that programs aimed at helping employees manage serious chronic conditions save employers money. For every $1 invested in that effort, employers saved $3.80, the study estimated.
In contrast, the same study found that lifestyle-oriented wellness initiatives only produced 50 cents of savings for every $1 invested by the employer.
However, supporters of comprehensive wellness programs argue that immediate ROI is not the only goal. Helping workers become healthier makes them happier, more productive and more engaged, some say.
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