M
ore now than ever American employers
are offering wellness initiatives, such as flu shots, health screenings and
weight management programs that improve the lives of their employees, according
to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Their recent survey,
Wellness Programs and Value-Based Health Care,
measured responses from the foundation’s wide-ranging members showing
that the prevalence of wellness programs has grown significantly over the past
10 years. Nearly 60% of American employers have been implementing new wellness
programs since 2008, while about 24% have started offering them since 2010. The
survey found that the wellness initiatives with the highest participation rates
are:
- Flu shot programs (49.6%)
- Health screenings (48.8%)
- Health risk assessments (48.2%)
- Health fairs (44.7%)
According to the survey,
most organizations have added wellness initiatives to help workers enjoy better
overall physical health and to control health care costs. For every $1 spent on
wellness initiatives, most organizations get about $1 to $3 decreases in
their overall health care costs. For more information, click
here.
