Wellness Programs – Another Avenue For Disease Prevention
by Pam MarshallUnless you’ve been living under a rock since last November, you’re aware of the hotly debated topic of health care reform. Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on, there’s no doubt that health care cost is rising – to the point that many employers have had to cut back on the amount of health insurance coverage they offer employees. The backlash falls into the lap of American families who have had to trim their budgets, too – often foregoing necessities – to afford needed health care.
That’s why many businesses are turning to employee wellness programs in an effort to get a handle on these escalating costs. Preventative care, the kind that potentially saves lives, is often the catalyst for implementing these wellness programs.
The best part? Not only do companies salvage their bottom line, but also their employees learn to take ownership in their own health and live healthier, more productive lives.
Managing obesity, smoking, and stress
Health issues like obesity, smoking, and stress have been proven to cause lost productivity and increase the cost of health care coverage. By focusing on these issues with a wellness program, employees learn about preventative care through exercise classes, weight-loss groups, counseling sessions, and smoking cessation programs.
According to a recent CNN article, the company Quest Diagnostics is seeing positive results from implementing such a program. In their voluntary program called Healthy Quest, not only do they offer avenues to combat major health issues, employees and their spouses receive a personalized health report based on laboratory test results. They even offer a monetary incentive to their employees for participating.
And as health care costs continue to climb, wellness programs such as Healthy Quest potentially increase company revenue. Healthy employees lead to more productive employees.
Potential drawbacks of wellness programs
As with any program, there is a downside. Employees are sometimes skeptical about releasing private information. When confidentiality issues arise, companies need to insure employees their personal and private information will not be shared with anyone. Also, programs should be voluntary.
Smaller businesses may not have the resources that larger companies have, but there are small changes they can make that will make a big difference in the long run. Encouraging the use of stairwells, cutting back on the junk food in the vending machine, or starting an aerobics class or walking program are just a few of the possibilities.
The Affordable Health Choices Act
In July of 2009, the Senate HELP Committee approved The Affordable Health Choices Act, which provides resources and tools to help employers implement and evaluate their wellness program. The idea is raise awareness of the importance of healthy living and the steps individuals can take to safeguard their health.
PreEmptive Meds
Obviously, the best way to treat a disease is to prevent it from ever striking. That is the exact philosophy of PreEmptive Meds. To be precise, intervention within the pre-disease state is the pillar of the PreEmptive Med philosophy.
PreEmptive Meds is the first and only therapeutics company that specializes in all-natural formulations designed to offer physicians and patients options for managing pre-disease and early disease conditions. Our goal is to preempt the development of chronic disease before it is irreversible. And with America’s health care crisis, taking care of problems before they reach full-blown disease is a timely issue indeed.
If you would like to learn more about PreEmptive Meds, please visit our website for information that could very well increase your quality of life – if not prolong it.
