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American Companies Pioneer Innovative Wellness Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Business Roundtable, an association of 160 chief executives whose companies provide health care for more than 35 million Americans, today released the results of "Doing Well through Wellness." This new study showcases how leading American companies' wellness and prevention initiatives are reducing health care system costs for all and providing employees with tools to stay healthy.

Recent meetings with Senator Hillary Clinton (D – NY) and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R), both national leaders in the quest to transform the U.S. health care system, reinforced to Business Roundtable CEOs the importance of giving Americans the resources they need to be healthy, manage disease, and be active, informed health care consumers. This report shows that, across the board, CEOs have committed to doing just that and to making the employer-based health care system even more effective.

"Improving the health care system is a shared responsibility. Our companies are pioneers, leading the way by offering employees best-in-class wellness and prevention programs that empower them and help reduce their health care costs," said John J. Castellani, president of Business Roundtable. "As the primary source of health insurance for almost a quarter of all Americans, our members are committed to innovating and advocating to effect real change in the marketplace."

The study, which includes examples from an array of companies from Accenture to General Mills to Xerox, shows that America's top companies are innovators in offering wellness and education tools to workers. Employers offer access to high-quality programs such as disease management (82 percent), tobacco cessation (74 percent) and weight management (85 percent).

Demonstrating businesses' long-standing commitment to health care, more than half of the 73 reported wellness initiatives have been in operation for at least five years, while 42 percent were launched more than 10 years ago. Another 20 percent of the respondents' programs were created within the past one to two years, and several other companies reported that they plan to have new programs up and running this year.

The companies revealed a range of qualitative program measures they have implemented to measure the value of wellness programs. From tracking costs of benefits to employees to assessing productivity gains, the companies have identified a wealth of employee and employer benefits that result from increased participation in wellness programs.

The study also illustrated that as employee wellness programs have matured, their focus has sharpened into more tailored initiatives that fit the employees' needs and companies' cultures while responding to health care trends. For instance, the focus of many of the programs has shifted over time from the goal of maintaining general health and wellbeing to identifying, managing or reducing specific – and potentially costly – health risks to individuals.

Overall, the study found the emergence of three significant trends among the companies' wellness programs:

  • Members are creating a culture of wellness within the company - Companies are exploring more effective ways to communicate with their employees around benefits and wellness; make wellness opportunities available and accessible across the employee population; and increase employee participation and ownership.
  • Companies are building the case for wellness - Business Roundtable's member companies are showing employees how working toward wellness helps save everyone money on health care.
  • Companies are focusing on giving each employee the resources they need - Companies are developing tools and approaches to target health risks, offer customized interventions, and empower employees to manage their own health and wellness.

"Employers today understand that helping their employees become better health care consumers means giving them the tools to stay well, not just helping them heal from sickness or injury. Top companies have responded by creating customized solutions for workers and their families," said Michael B. McCallister, president and CEO of Humana Inc. and chairman of Business Roundtable's Health and Retirement Task Force. "It is our hope that by rewarding healthy choices, we can put America on a healthier path."

As part of its commitment to health care, Business Roundtable has also partnered with AARP and SEIU, representing consumers and workers respectively, to form Divided We Fail, a national effort that engages the American people, elected officials and the business community to find broad-based, bi-partisan solutions to health care and long-term financial security issues. All three groups agree that wellness initiatives are one tool to help improve Americans' health and reduce U.S. spending on health care. Visit http://www.businessroundtable.org/  to view a copy of "Doing Well through Wellness."  

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