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Start A Workplace Wellness Program
We spend the majority of our waking hours at work, therefore the workplace is an excellent venue to begin focusing on prevention and wellness.
Half of all mortality in the U.S. is linked to changeable behavioral factors such as smoking, poor diet, alcohol use, physical inactivity and careless accidents. Yet less than 5% of the total health care burden is spent on reducing these risks.
Wellness programs can effectively engage employees in health care decision making and encourage them to take a proactive role in improving their health status.
Using workplace driven initiatives and incentives to promote healthy lifestyles, holds great promise for improving employee and dependent health as well as stabilizing overall health care costs in the United States |
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How To Set Up A Wellness Plan
Workplace wellness doesn't have to mean on-site gyms and in-house personal trainers. Small companies may be able to encourage healthy living and offer compelling perks to employees without spending a lot of money and time putting together a plan.
For a small company, the payoff can be big: Many employers report that healthier employees show up to work more often, are more productive, and visit the doctor less frequently. The payoff is also big for employees - and that should be your focus when implementing your program. The program is for them, not something you're doing to them to reduce your insurance costs. Having the right attitude and getting everyone involved in a positive way is a good first step.
Here are five tips for small companies that want to get started with wellness at work.
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Banks Battle For Health Savings Accounts
Banks and insurers are battling for tax-advantaged health savings accounts to remain as one of the options in health-care reform.
Funds in HSAs can be used to pay for current health-care expenses, such as co-pays and deductibles, as well as to save on a tax-free basis for future medical expenses, such as Medicare premiums.
To qualify for an HSA, investors need to be enrolled in an insurance plan that meets certain conditions. This year those include a deductible of at least $1,150 for individual coverage or $2,300 for a family.
Read More: Banks Battle
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Frustrated with "Low Interest" Rates?
