Companies Look to Clinics, Wellness to SAVE

Companies Look to On-site Clinics and Wellness Programs to Save on Health Care Costs

As lawmakers in Washington continue with plans to overhaul the health care system, companies are striking out on their own - employing on-site clinicians or implementing wellness program - to fight soaring health care costs, says an article by Reuters.

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REUTERS ARTICLE

Dec 18, 2009 8:22 AM - Under reform proposals moving through Congress, employers of all sizes would get incentives to entice workers into corporate wellness programs, even though it is unclear whether the programs improve employees' health or companies' bottom lines. Despite the lack of solid evidence, says Reuters, a growing number of companies expect it will do both, and they're spending money to find out.

Discovery opened a second wellness center at its New York office this year and plans to open a third in Miami in 2010. Hiring on-site physicians and nudging employees to take better care of themselves helped halt the growth of its health costs - it was flat last year, which is more of an achievement than it sounds, considering that most companies saw a 10% rise over the same period, Discovery officials told Reuters.

On-site clinics serve 4% of working Americans and could rise to 10% in 5 years. About 1,200 companies now host 2,200 clinics. An even larger number of companies have adopted more modest programs to promote wellness among workers and help them manage costly, chronic diseases such as diabetes, says the article. However, less than a quarter of companies offering wellness benefits actually measure whether they save money.

Are you interested in a corporate wellness program?
Contact Carl Mailhot at ECRC Physical Therapy at 1-800-224-0150. He has years of experience with on-site work at local industries, specializing in injury prevention and wellness.