This document discusses the return on investment (ROI) of employee wellness programs. It provides data showing the high annual healthcare costs associated with common health risks and conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and tobacco use. These costs are due to direct medical spending and lost productivity from absenteeism. Wellness programs that provide biometric screenings, onsite clinics, health coaching and challenges have been shown to identify risks early and reduce costs. Studies found that wellness programs achieved a ROI of up to 4:1 by lowering healthcare spending and absenteeism related to improved employee health.
Large-Scale Disclosure Panel Presentation from 2008 Annual Meeting of America...Noel Eldridge
I was invited to present on a panel on the disclosure of adverse events at this annual meeting of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities in Cleveland, and covered the VA policy at that time. I had been involved in the implementation of the policy and the writing of the policy documents, but not the core thinking behind the policy which was developed by a committee convened by the VA Center for Ethics in Health Care a few years earlier. Disclosure of adverse events is an area where VA has been a leader, but it has been challenging, especially in gray areas such as when it is unknown whether any patients were actually harmed by a breach in appropriate practices. The current VA policy is on-line at: http://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=2800 . Also on-line is a 2008 transcript when I participated as a speaker in a national VA call organized by the VA National Center for Ethics in Health Care: http://www.ethics.va.gov/docs/net/NET_Topic_20080226_Disclosure_of_Adverse_Events.doc
Reduce Medicaid Churn with HMS Eliza | InfographicHMS
Check out this infographic about the impact Medicaid churn has on an individual's health and their health plan's bottom line. Member enrollment continuity has positive health and financial outcomes. Reducing the amount of unnecessary churn inflicted on the U.S. healthcare system will not only reduce costs but, also help maintain and improve the health status of many Medicaid recipients like Jane. Follow her story and discover the millions of dollars in healthcare costs saved from a simple HMS Eliza retention program.
Large-Scale Disclosure Panel Presentation from 2008 Annual Meeting of America...Noel Eldridge
I was invited to present on a panel on the disclosure of adverse events at this annual meeting of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities in Cleveland, and covered the VA policy at that time. I had been involved in the implementation of the policy and the writing of the policy documents, but not the core thinking behind the policy which was developed by a committee convened by the VA Center for Ethics in Health Care a few years earlier. Disclosure of adverse events is an area where VA has been a leader, but it has been challenging, especially in gray areas such as when it is unknown whether any patients were actually harmed by a breach in appropriate practices. The current VA policy is on-line at: http://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=2800 . Also on-line is a 2008 transcript when I participated as a speaker in a national VA call organized by the VA National Center for Ethics in Health Care: http://www.ethics.va.gov/docs/net/NET_Topic_20080226_Disclosure_of_Adverse_Events.doc
Reduce Medicaid Churn with HMS Eliza | InfographicHMS
Check out this infographic about the impact Medicaid churn has on an individual's health and their health plan's bottom line. Member enrollment continuity has positive health and financial outcomes. Reducing the amount of unnecessary churn inflicted on the U.S. healthcare system will not only reduce costs but, also help maintain and improve the health status of many Medicaid recipients like Jane. Follow her story and discover the millions of dollars in healthcare costs saved from a simple HMS Eliza retention program.
Understanding reimbursement models for 2014, including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO's), Private Payer Models, and Health Care Reform Initiatives.
Workplace Brochure - "Encouraging Better Employee Health Practices" - by Kim ...Kim Elaine Mitchell
My practicum on "Encouraging Better Employee Health Practices" was presented to Baxter Healthcare Employees. A workplace brochure was designed with input from the Baxter COHNs'. This is given to all of their new employees.
Is Your Business Under Financial Stress?Sonia Gabriel
Unhappy employees can cost you a great deal of money. Standard major medical benefits is not enough when a major event leaves them paying in the thousands.
What is naturopathic medicine why is naturopathy importantNaturopathic Doctor
A naturopathic doctor conducts laboratory tests, physical assessments, examination of medical history and medical imaging to figure out the root cause of an illness. Once the cause is established, the medical practitioner will recommended a number of ways to prevent and treat the sickness completely. Know more http://bit.ly/3kzJrcY
The goal of this webinar was to help healthcare professionals improve care coordination for patients with advanced illness and to reduce hospital readmissions and length of stay (LOS).
Managing National Health: An Overview of Metrics & OptionsDale Sanders
This is a presentation that I gave at the annual international healthcare conference hosted by the Cayman Islands government. It summarizes the international standards and frameworks for planning and managing the health of a nation. One of the most fun parts of a very fun career was the time that I spent working and living in the Cayman Islands and serving as the CIO of the national health system. The Cayman Islands national health system sat at the intersection of three very influential healthcare ecosystems-- the United States, United Kingdom, and the Pan-American Healthcare Organization. As a result, I was fortunate enough to learn from these international settings and contrast that to the US healthcare system. Other healthcare systems tend to benchmark themselves internationally more so than the United States, where we tend to benchmark ourselves internally. Unfortunately, those internal US benchmarks are the lowest in the developed world by almost every measure of national health.
Understanding reimbursement models for 2014, including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO's), Private Payer Models, and Health Care Reform Initiatives.
Workplace Brochure - "Encouraging Better Employee Health Practices" - by Kim ...Kim Elaine Mitchell
My practicum on "Encouraging Better Employee Health Practices" was presented to Baxter Healthcare Employees. A workplace brochure was designed with input from the Baxter COHNs'. This is given to all of their new employees.
Is Your Business Under Financial Stress?Sonia Gabriel
Unhappy employees can cost you a great deal of money. Standard major medical benefits is not enough when a major event leaves them paying in the thousands.
What is naturopathic medicine why is naturopathy importantNaturopathic Doctor
A naturopathic doctor conducts laboratory tests, physical assessments, examination of medical history and medical imaging to figure out the root cause of an illness. Once the cause is established, the medical practitioner will recommended a number of ways to prevent and treat the sickness completely. Know more http://bit.ly/3kzJrcY
The goal of this webinar was to help healthcare professionals improve care coordination for patients with advanced illness and to reduce hospital readmissions and length of stay (LOS).
Managing National Health: An Overview of Metrics & OptionsDale Sanders
This is a presentation that I gave at the annual international healthcare conference hosted by the Cayman Islands government. It summarizes the international standards and frameworks for planning and managing the health of a nation. One of the most fun parts of a very fun career was the time that I spent working and living in the Cayman Islands and serving as the CIO of the national health system. The Cayman Islands national health system sat at the intersection of three very influential healthcare ecosystems-- the United States, United Kingdom, and the Pan-American Healthcare Organization. As a result, I was fortunate enough to learn from these international settings and contrast that to the US healthcare system. Other healthcare systems tend to benchmark themselves internationally more so than the United States, where we tend to benchmark ourselves internally. Unfortunately, those internal US benchmarks are the lowest in the developed world by almost every measure of national health.
What is the Evidence and Return on Investment (ROI) of Obesity Prevention and...ICF
Originally presented at George Washington University's and ICF International's Research and Evaluation Forum (#GWICF2015), Dr. Ron Goetzel demonstrates why employers should look at value on investment (VOI) rather than return on investment (ROI) of workplace health promotion. Dr. Goetzel goes through:
• The severity and cost of obesity
• Why the workplace is the optimal environment for health programs
• Evidence and examples of how workplace health programs can bring VOI
• How employers can get VOI
To watch the video of Dr. Goetzel presenting these slides at the GW/ICF Research and Evaluation Forum, visit: http://www.icfi.com/ObesityPreventionRonGoetzel
CDC will provide an overview of their WorkLife Wellness Office services and describe how they used the HealthLead accreditation process to provide a framework to assess the comprehensiveness of their new office and existing programs and processes. Also, how the scoring of framework identified strengths and weaknesses and how the assessment plan of action is used for future strategic planning to drive new connections, data sources, and programmatic gaps as they strive to achieve HealthLead Silver. CDC will share specific examples of what was required and shared as part of the HealthLead audit during the presentation.
Navigating Oceans of Data - Being Part of and Competing in the ACO & Bundled ...jfsheridan
Bundled Payment BPCI and Accountable Care Organizations are changing the paradigm for payment and delivery of post acute care. This change creates episode of care programs. The presentation reviews how New Jersey is affected by BPCI and ACOs.
An industry-wide survey of the health ecosystem. By looking at leading operating models that are representative of the future health ecosystem, the viewer can get a handle on how the future will look.
Similar to ROI for Employee Wellness Programs_Powerpoint (20)
8. Centra Panoramic
• Services offered
– Account management
– Biometric screenings
– Web based portal
– Lunch and learns
– Wellness challenges
– Incentives campaigns
– Wellness coaching
– Onsite 8 week programs
9. References1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet.
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_bloodpressure.htm. Accessed November 20, 2015.
2. United States Department of Health & Human Services. Statistical Brief #404: Expenditures for Hypertension among Adults Age 18 and Older, 2010:
Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population. http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st404/stat404.shtml. Accessed
November 2, 2015.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High Cholesterol Facts. http://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/facts.htm. Accessed November 20, 2015.
4.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Workplace Health Promotion: Cholesterol Screening and Control.
http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/implementation/topics/cholesterol.html. Accessed November 2, 2015.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basics About Diabetes. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html. Accessed November 20, 2015.
6.Diabetes Advocacy Alliance. Employers are Working to Defeat Diabetes.
http://www.diabetesadvocacyalliance.org/pdf/DAA_Brief_Employer_2013_07_24A.pdf. Accessed October 2, 2015.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Obesity Facts. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html. Accessed November 20, 2015.
8. Prater T, Smith K. Underlying factors contributing to presenteeism and absenteeism. Journal of Business & Economics Research. 2011; 9(6):1-14.
9. Indiana. Cost of Employee Tobacco Use. http://www.in.gov/quitline/2343.htm. Accessed November 2, 2015.
10. Navarro C, Bass C. The cost of employee absenteeism. Compensation & Benefits Review. 2006; 38(6): 26-30.
11. Cawley J, Rizzo JA, Haas K. The association of diabetes with job absenteeism costs among obese and morbidly obese workers. J Occup Environ Med.
2008; 50(5):527-34.
12. Goetzel RZ, Carls GS, Wang S, et al. The relationship between modifiable health risk factors and medical expenditures, absenteeism, short-term
disability, and presenteeism among employees at novartis. J Occup Environ Med. 2009; 51(4):487-99.
13. Chenoweth, D. H., PhD. & Garrett, J., C.O.H.N. /C.M. Cost-effectiveness analysis of a worksite clinic: Is it worth the cost? AAOHN Journal; 2006: 54(2), 84-
91.
14. Wellness Coaches USA. ROI – WCUSA’s Onsite Coaching Model Shows ROI of 4:1 or $700 Savings per Employee.
http://www.wellnesscoachesusa.com/news/wellness-coaches-usa%E2%80%99s-on-site-coaching-model-shows-roi-of-41-or-700-savings-per-employee-2.
Accessed October 29, 2015.
15. Kocakulah MC, Cherry A, Morris, JT. Investing in company wellness programs: Does it make financial sense? Journal of Health Management. 2013;
15(3):463-470.
16. Benavides AD, David HF. Public Personnel Management. 2010; 39(4): 291+.
Editor's Notes
Hypertension
Blood pressure is the force of blood in the body pushing against the walls of the arteries that are responsible for carrying blood from your heart to other parts of the body. While it is normal for blood pressure to rise and fall throughout the day, if blood pressure stays high for a long period of time it can be damaging to the heart and cause health problems. High blood pressure is known as hypertension.1
Hypertension increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the leading causes of death in the United States today.1
At least 70 million American adults (29%) suffer from hypertension. 1
That is equal to 1 in every 3 adults1
Hypertension costs the nation around $46 billion annually.1
This amount includes the cost of health care services, medications to treat hypertension, and absences from work (absenteeism = productivity loss) 1
In 2010, annual expenditures for individuals with hypertension reached about $733 per adult.2
Cholesterol
As cholesterol begins to build up in an individual’s arteries, the arteries in turn begin to narrow, and the flow of blood becomes more constricted.3
At least 73.5 million adults (31.7%) in the United States have high LDL cholesterol3
Less than 1 out of 3 (29.5%) have their high LDL cholesterol under control, and less than half (48.1%) are getting treatment for their high LDL cholesterol. 3
High LDL cholesterol puts individuals at nearly twice the risk of developing heart disease in comparison to individuals with healthy LDL cholesterol levels. 3
In 2010, the economic costs of cardiovascular diseases and stroke were estimated at $444.2 billion, including $272.5 billion in direct medical expenses and $171.7 billion in indirect costs. 4
Glucose
Diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels reach above normal levels.5
Diabetes prevents the body from producing enough insulin or from using its own insulin. Insulin is necessary for transporting glucose into the cells of our bodies and without it the sugars in our bodies begin to build up in the blood. 5
Diabetes can result in health conditions such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. 5
Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. 5
In 2012, individuals with diabetes incurred medical costs of about $13,700, with $7,900 of that directly related to their diabetes.6
One large insurer reported in 2009 that its studies showed the following annual health care costs for people with prediabetes and diabetes:
$5,000 for a member with prediabetes 6
$12,000 for those with previously undiagnosed diabetes6
$10,000 for those with diabetes who did not have complications6
$30,000 for those with diabetes with complications6
Weight/ BMI
About one-third of adults in the United States are obese (34.9% or 78.6 million)7
Health conditions associated with obesity include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancers. 7
The U.S. spent around $147 billion in 2008 towards the medical costs of obesity; the medical costs of individuals who are obese on average are about $1,429 higher than individuals of normal weight. 7
The costs per person who suffer from obesity are about $16,900 for women and about $15,500 for men.8
Tobacco User
The estimated costs of a smoker average $3,391 per smoker per year in direct medical costs and productivity.9
$1,623 in excess medical expenditures9
$1,760 in lost productivity9
$8 in smoking-attributable neonatal expenditures9
Absenteeism
“Habitual failure to appear, especially for work or other regular duty.”10
According to the 2005 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, employee absenteeism cost companies an average of $660 per employee in 2005.10
Average absenteeism cost of a morbidly obese nondiabetic worker is about $177.11
Morbidly obese male employees who are diabetic cost an extra $924 in relation to absenteeism in comparison to a healthy-weight nondiabetic male, and more than five times the extra cost of a morbidly obese nondiabetic man.11
Obese men cost an employer an extra $70 in average absenteeism costs if he is nondiabetic and would cost more than six times that, $429, if he were diabetic.11
Obese women employees cost an employer an additional $134 on average, in absenteeism costs if they are nondiabetic, but more than twice that, $297, if she is diabetic.11
Morbidly obese women costs an employer about $226 in average absenteeism costs if she is nondiabetic but at least $398 if she is diabetic11
Absenteeism rates range from 0.0% to 6.3% among employees with zero to eight risks12
For employees with zero risk factors an estimated 4.1 workdays were lost, and 12.6 days for those with four or more risks.12
Productivity loss was estimated at 11.9% to 28.3% for employees with zero to seven or more health risk factors12
2.4% additional productivity loss was associated with each additional risk12
Employees at moderate risk (three to four risk factors) were found to be 6.2% less productive than employees of lower risk (zero to two risks), while employees of high risk (five or more risk factors) were about 12.2% less productive.12
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**************Which graphs should be utilized, or should alternative graphs/numbers be represented?*******************
Clinics
Onsite Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant.
Provide improved access to care for employees, allowing them to receive care without leaving the workplace.
Benefits can be seen in reduced healthcare claims and reduced absenteeism.
Ability to treat immediate care needs, as well as, assist employees with improving chronic conditions.
Part-time and full-time clinic options are available.
Wellness Coaching
According to the Health & Productivity Management (HPM) Return on Investment Model (ROI Model), over a 5-year time period, wellness coaching does result in an average ROI of 4-to-1 or $700 per employee.14
Employee Wellness Programs (EWPs)
HPM found that over a 2-year time period, the ROI model projected savings from health risks produced a 3.7 to ROI or $940 per employee ($300 per employee in healthcare costs and about $640 per employee in productivity costs).14
Another article found that for every dollar an employer invested in EWPs, it could be expected that at least $3.50 would be returned by the end of a three year timespan, however comparable reflected a $1.50 return by the end of year three.15
However , with medical costs rapidly expanding every year, it is difficult to place a consistent monetary value on the effectiveness of EWPs.15
EWPs that reflect the greatest return-on-investment have been found to encompass four substantial components: assessment activities, communication materials, self-help materials, and group programs.16
Only 61% of EWPs offer health risk assessments, 56% offer tobacco cessation programs, 50% utilize on-site gym centers, 48% offer healthier food options at work, 48% offer employee diet programs, 43% pay for employee gym memberships, 32% provide assorted preventative health services such as free flu shots, healthier food options in vending machines, online wellness website resources, and onsite massage therapy, 27% provide employee exercise programs, and finally only another 27% provide diet counseling sessions to their employees. 16
However, it is important to understand that EWPs cannot show a positive return on investment in only a year’s time. Most often an employer should expect to see a positive change in the health of their employees within at least 2 years of a EWP’s implementation.16
Complete list of services offered by Centra Panoramic Wellness
Account management
Biometric screenings
Web based portal
Lunch and learns
Wellness challenges
Incentive campaigns
Wellness coaching
Face to face
Telephonic
Onsite 8 week programs
Tobacco cessation
Weight management
Stress management
Heart health education
Diabetes education
Account Manager
Implements, markets, and evaluates wellness programs.
Reviews employee population aggregate reporting and offers suggested actions based on population risk levels.
Leads wellness program orientations.
Develops customized portal.
Offers customer service support to both employer’s administration staff and employees participating in the program.
Plans, organizes, and promotes wellness events (e.g. biometric screenings, lunch and learns, health fairs etc.).
Design a wellness plan with short and long term goals of the company.
Offers assistance in developing and guiding the employer’s wellness committee.
Web Based Portal
Individual portal access for all eligible participants.
Online central scheduling for wellness challenges and events.
Access to nutrition and exercise logs.
Online educational material.
Access to personal health assessment.
Ability to customize an incentive campaign.
Annual aggregate reports, individual reports from portal assessments, and incentive reporting.
Lunch and Learns
Diabetes education
Weight management education
Stress management workshop (mental health practitioner normally leads this event)
Heart health education
Fitness and nutrition education