Employers can encourage healthy lifestyles

Healthier living can mean weight loss, an improved self-image and lower premiums on your health insurance.

It is not just individuals who dedicate themselves to changing wellness habits for the sake of lower insurance costs; businesses are getting in on it, too. According to a recent article in USA Today, an iron pipe company in Alabama is taking drastic steps to promote wellness and health care. It has an on-site medical center and gym in order to encourage healthier living and battle rising health care costs.

Unfortunately, less than 5 percent of companies have on-site gyms or medical facilities.

After years of rising health care costs that have grown at several times the rate of inflation, employers across the United States are trying to find new ways to curb spending.

More productivity

According to recent surveys, employers want employees to take more responsibility for health care costs and decisions. After all, research has shown that healthy employees contribute to increased productivity in the workplace while lowering health care costs. Eight out of 10 employers surveyed said the best option for reducing costs is offering financial incentives to promote healthier lifestyles.

Companies offering wellness incentives have many employees proudly compare their cholesterol levels and weight, because if they keep their results within healthy levels, they qualify for an annual bonus or other incentive.

Essentially, this is a great example of how employers can effectively encourage healthy living while controlling a portion of their health care costs.

Clearly, it is unrealistic to wait for your own workplace to adopt these kinds of drastic changes. It is important to note that many group health insurance plans offer discounts on memberships to local gyms, and they also offer health risk assessments that employees can take in order to find out the status of their lifestyle, as well as receive a financial incentive through lower premiums.

Prevention is crucial

The key to keeping your insurance costs low in the new year is prevention. Regular wellness visits with your doctor, maintaining your health through diet and exercise and being a nonsmoker lower your costs as well as aiding in the prevention of chronic illnesses.

Resolve to participate in health risk assessments and any opportunity your group health plan offers to not only improve your wellness, but also improve your premium.

Also affecting your health care costs in the new year are the trends and forces of the insurance industry. According to a recent poll through America's Health Insurance Plans, people weighed in on what they thought would be important priorities in 2006.

The respondents felt that the mostconsequential development of the new year will be the increased access to a drug benefit for seniors - and the Medicare drug benefit program will be the biggest federal health issue of 2006.

The respondents also agreed that the health care management opportunity for insurance plans would be generated through prevention and health improvement efforts such as those discussed in this article.

Check with your human resources manager or broker for opportunities that could lower your insurance costs this year. Be mindful of the level of your wellness efforts and the prevention measures available in order to keep costs in check.

Andrea Croley is co-owner of Croley Insurance and Financial in Springfield.

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