Prescription Plan: How concerned are companies with soaring health premiums?
Get this: During the next three to five years, nearly 90 percent of firms plan
to aggressively promote healthy lifestyles to their employees in an attempt to
cut health care costs. That’s according to Hewitt Associates, a Lincolnshire,
Illinois-based consulting firm that based its findings on a survey of 500 U.S.
companies. In a similar survey last year, Hewitt found that 63 percent of
companies were making similar plans to promote health-conscious living among
employees.
In the most recent survey, 85 percent of companies said they are investing
“significant resources in long-term health and productivity initiatives.”
Additionally, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of companies are offering
incentives aimed at motivating employees to adopt healthier behaviors, while 67
percent “will utilize health care data and measurements” to shape
organization-wide strategies on health and wellness.
Although the employer-led initiatives are commendable, employees are
lukewarm. A separate Hewitt survey of 30,000 employees reveals that nearly
three-quarters hold employers responsible for providing help and understanding
on the nuances of company-sponsored health plans, yet only 12 percent of
employees believe it’s their company’s responsibility to encourage them to live
healthier lives.
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