How healthier teams can lead to lower medical costs
With the ongoing rise in healthcare expenses, employers are always looking for ways to reduce costs without compromising the well-being of their team.
One solution gaining popularity is the implementation of employee wellness programs. These programs can range from fitness challenges to smoking cessation programs to mental health resources and weight loss programs.
All of these programs aim to improve the overall health of employees, which, in turn, can lead to lower medical claims costs if implemented correctly. Let’s dive in!
How wellness can lower medical claims costs
The main goal of wellness programs like these is to target the root causes of high healthcare costs: namely, chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Many of these health issues are largely preventable or manageable with healthcare support and lifestyle changes. When employees are healthier, they’re less likely to need doctor visits, extensive and repeated testing, expensive chronic medications, and costly hospital stays. Decreasing these conditions directly impacts the number and size of insurance claims filed.
For example, in a study published in 2021, adults with obesity compared with those with normal weight experienced higher annual medical care costs by $2,505. Additionally, an astounding ninety percent of the nation’s $4.5 trillion in annual health care expenditures are due to chronic and mental health conditions.
Wellness programs can lead to lifestyle changes
Employee wellness programs that focus on promoting small, sustainable changes can make a huge impact on your bottom line.
Encouraging things like regular exercise, improving diet, reducing stress, getting better sleep, and maintaining a healthy body weight doesn’t just make employees feel better; they can contribute to long-term reductions in high-cost medical conditions.
For example, obesity is a known risk factor for numerous expensive conditions, from cardiovascular disease to diabetes and cancer. A workplace initiative that encourages weight loss can help reduce obesity rates and, in turn, the claims related to those secondary chronic conditions.
Stress is also a silent driver of medical costs. Chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, a weak immune system, and mental health conditions. Programs that offer therapy, psychiatry, counseling, mindfulness training, or flexible work arrangements can reduce stress levels and prevent stress-related claims from escalating into costly ongoing treatments.
Engagement in wellness programs
As with any new initiative, getting buy-in from employees is the most important step. Wellness programs that are one-size-fits-all, impersonal, poorly promoted, or overly intrusive tend to see low participation and little return on investment.
However, companies that personalize offerings, incentivize participation, and foster a supportive culture often see not just health improvements but measurable cost savings.
Technology is the key player here. Telehealth or virtual care is one of the best ways to engage employees with individualized wellness care. The convenience and privacy of using a virtual care platform make engagement a no-brainer.
Beyond just medical claims: think productivity and morale
While the impact on medical costs is important, the benefits of a healthier workforce go way beyond the bottom line.
Healthier employees take fewer sick days, are more productive, and tend to stay with their employers longer. Lower turnover reduces onboarding and training costs. Plus, when employees feel that their well-being is supported, morale and engagement tend to rise. These are key contributors to overall job satisfaction.
Take steps to engage your employees today
Employee wellness programs can lead to significant reductions in healthcare claims costs. They help address the underlying causes of chronic illness, encourage a focus on wellness and health, and foster healthier habits that reduce the need for expensive interventions down the line.
Keep in mind, successful wellness programs require more than just handing out pedometers or hosting a one-off health info session on Zoom. The most effective long-term programs are those that meet employees where they are, can adapt to diverse needs, and build a culture that truly values wellness.
With that, we’d like to introduce Agile Telehealth, your better wellness partner.
Access better wellness for your employees with Agile Telehealth
Are you an employer? At Agile, we provide top-tier wellness programs for companies and their teams—at little to no cost to your organization.
How do we do it? By leveraging our extensive network of board-certified physicians and trusted pharmacy partners, we’re able to deliver customized wellness solutions and personalized compounded medications, like GIP, at a fraction of the cost of traditional benefits programs.
Interested in learning more? Contact us here!
Browse our list of available programs!
