A new study suggests that employers may want to implement health prevention strategies in addition to the employee benefits they offer to their workers, as such strategies may help improve their bottom line.
According to a joint study conducted by Towers Watson and StayWell Health Management, recommending certain lifestyle changes and behaviors to employees can go a long way toward cost savings. In fact, researchers say that they can often be "immediate."
The "Association Between Changes in Health Risk Status and Changes in Future Health Care Costs" report said that based on the 23,000 individuals included in the research, employers that were able to lower health risks through workplace health management programs saw a reduction in healthcare costs the same year the changes were installed.
Jessica Grossmeier, vice president of researh at StayWell health Managment and co-author of the study, indicated that may be the clearest sign yet as to the benefits that come when employers put a greater focus on their employees' health.
"This is one of the first multi-employer studies to explore the specific timing of changes in health care costs related to increases or decreases in health risks," said Grossmeier. "The research supports a greater focus on prevention and wellness. It also can help employers better estimate the short-term financial impact of changes in individual and population health risks."
Steven Nyce, senior economist at Towers Watson, noted that an employer may be able to save as much as $100 for each employee for each health risk that's eliminated.
In light of this, employers may want to put a greater emphasis on their HR compliance statutes in the course of employee benefit consulting. Greater adherence to these rules may help ensure that workers are not only abiding by company policy but also diminishing their health risk.
