Prevention Rather Than Cure

Your company's budget for health insurance is getting tighter which means either layoffs or you'll have to find a new insurance provider. Rather than let go of valuable assets like your employees, do some research in the health insurance market. You may be surprised to find that health insurance providers are offering discounts for workplace wellness, preventive care, and health education.

Insurance companies are feeling the effects of a failing economy as well. They keep raising coverage costs because they can't get enough people to cover to make a profit. The average American family is no longer insured and can no longer afford health insurance. Instead of raising prices so high that no one can afford it, health insurance providers are doing something smart. They are offering discounts and incentives to people who they don't have to pay out as many claims for. Insurance providers are showing their customers that their healthy lifestyles are appreciated by rewarding those with low health risk factors and providing avenues of opportunity for those whose health risk factors are higher than an insurance provider can cover cost effectively. Discounts are being offered for those who are below certain risk factors, those who are trying to quit smoking, those who control their diseases well so more expensive problems don't crop up, those who are trying to control or loose weight, and those who are taking control of their own health.

As you pursue and insurance provider that will give you discounts on your insurance, remember that insurance incentives go hand in hand with your workplace wellness program. The more attuned your insurance is to what your employees are working for, the better the discounts they can get. Here are some things to look for:

• Wellness Markers Incentives - Wellness markers include things like blood pressure under 120/80, cholesterol levels below 100 mg/dL, a body mass index between 19 and 25, and several other factors that indicate a healthy person. Some insurance providers are rewarding those who take care of themselves and some employers are reaping the benefits of it. To help them determine whether an employee meets the wellness markers, employees must undergo a health screening. This health screening measures basic health indicators. The health screening offers you an opportunity to help your employees become aware of their potential health risks so they can start working toward better health goals.
• Smoking Cessation Incentives - You are trying to create a smoke-free zone at work and on work property so the general health of your entire office can be improved. Look for an insurance plan that offers to cover the cost of smoking cessation programs for tobacco users who want to quit. This incentive has been proven to help tobacco users quit one-and-a-half times more than discounts off a cessation program or smoking education alone. This will help lessen the costs of your wellness program when it comes to employees with a smoking problem as the insurance provider is covering all the costs rather than you or your employee.
• Weight Management Incentives - The number one healthcare problem in America is the rapid rise of obesity cases. Obesity leads to cardiovascular and other heart and blood related problems, diabetes, and almost every curable disease that people make insurance claims to combat. If your insurance provider offers incentives for people to manage their weight, you know they are focused on helping employees become healthier and when employees are healthier, your company makes more money.