Organizations offering wellness programs in light of rising healthcare costs

Thursday, 24 February 2011 16:00

News - Corporate Wellness Programs

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An article in Human Resource Executive Online discusses how employers are turning to employee wellness programs in an effort to curb costs stemming from healthcare benefits.

The news source reports that per employee benefit costs increased nearly 7 percent from 2009 to 2010. Meanwhile, the health of U.S. workers continues to deteriorate.

The answer to the problem for many employers has been to take direct control of the situation by implementing employee wellness programs that address physical fitness, diet and stress management.

"Companies that have utilized these procedures have been able to reverse the trend and bend the cost curve down rather than up," said George Pantos, director of the Health Performance Management Institute.

By improving the health of workers, organizations find it more affordable to continue offering comprehensive employee health benefits, the article states.

The Council on Foreign Relations reports that the U.S. spends more than $2 trillion annually on healthcare, which amounts to about 17 percent of its gross domestic product. Additionally, premiums on health insurance have risen by 117 percent over the past 10 years.