HRH Lowering Employee Costs for Chronic Disease

Healthcare coverage is one of the most expensive benefits an employer can offer employees. Finding the right healthcare partner to manage chronic health problems can be key to saving money and improving the health of employees.

Why Is It Difficult to Find Ways to Lower Health Costs?

With an aging workforce, and unhealthy habits among workers in our state, finding ways to lower health costs is easier said than done. Unhealthy habits can lead to chronic diseases that, if left unmanaged, can deteriorate a person’s quality of life and result in exorbitant costs. Uncontrolled chronic disease can also escalate into bigger, more expensive problems requiring treatments and procedures that could have been avoided with early intervention.

Employers Can Save Money & Get Employees’ Health on Track

Partnering directly with a healthcare provider can help employers save money, while offering wellness opportunities that their employees might not otherwise receive. For instance, Hendricks Regional Health:

• works with a number of employers in our community to offer free, on-site health screenings. The screenings can help identify employees that are at risk for a number of health issues. Those at risk can receive follow-up care from a certified wellness nurse; more severe cases can be referred to a physician.
• provides on-site medical clinics that are staffed by a physician and certified wellness nurses. The clinics provide primary care services to employees at their place of work so they don’t have to go out of their way to see a doctor. One of our on-site medical clinic partners, the Hendricks County Government, has been able to reverse their rising healthcare costs after implementing an on-site clinic and has saved $2 million in healthcare costs!

Our wellness services, such as the on-site medical clinics, can:

• Provide support and encouragement to reverse harmful lifestyle habits.
• Improve activity levels and medication compliance through wellness coaching.
• Produce positive changes when wellness coaching is done in a group setting, and provide built-in support and camaraderie of others.

As employees face higher deductibles in their health plans, they are beginning to take more of an interest in their healthcare expenses. Developing a partnership to bring free or reduced-cost health services into the workplace is a perk that many employees embrace.

Putting more emphasis on chronic disease management can help your bottom line but, more importantly, can improve the lives of your employees. Contact Hendricks at Work today to see how we can help you maintain a healthy workforce.

Adapted from “Lowering Employee Costs for Chronic Disease” by Kevin P. Speer