Managed Care - February 2008 - (Page 28) Companies demand. Will health plans deliver? t may look as if every em“Employers understand that this. We can do this,’” Willette ployer in America wants wellsome of the costs that they expe- says. ness programs for its workers rience or loss of productivity And clearly they can — to a in the hope of reducing health among their employees relate to certain extent. Mercer’s survey of care cost outlays, but that is not things that might be affected by employers with 500 employees the full story. What they ultinot waiting until someone has or more found that 65 percent of mately want, say the consultants developed a chronic disease, but employers that offer wellness who advise them, is a more proprogramming opt for the stanrather by trying to get the right ductive workforce. behaviors in place earlier on,” dard programs offered through “They are really concerned says Christine Paige, senior vice their health plans. about productivity and total cost president of Kaiser Permanente. At the other end of the specof care,” says Peter Boland, presiThus, employers are asking for trum, about 3 percent of employdent of Boland Healthcare. ers are contracting with “They’re looking at disability, many specialty vendors, Cause for concern replacement, presenteeism, looking for “best practice” Health and absence from work account direct and indirect health providers for health risk asfor 23 percent of payroll costs for U.S. costs. They realize they are sessments, disease manemployers. going to have to intervene agement, and other wellwith an array of proven wellness offerings. Percent of payroll ness activities because it’s in Another 17 percent of Health benefit 16% their interest to do it.” employers primarily use Thus, the explosion in dethe wellness services proAbsence benefit 4% mand for wellness programs vided by their health plans, indicates that the health stabut buy some services — Estimated cost tus of workers has become a for example, screening proof unplanned C-suite priority. grams — from other venabsences 3% “It’s the CEO that’s asking. dors. And 12 percent of It’s the CFO that’s interemployers outsource wellness services to a single ested,” says Sue Willette, master contractor who head of Mercer’s health and Source: Mercer’s National Survey of Employer-Sponsored promises to procure “best productivity management Health Plans and Mercer/Marsh 2007 Survey of Health, practice” services. group. “And it’s because Productivity and Absence Management Programs “The thing that scares they see the direct impact of the health plans the most is that a wide range of programs to imhealth on their bottom line.” those 12 percent are the cuttingprove the health of their workWhat’s examined force. That means an opportuedge employers,” she says. Traditionally employers have nity for health plans, and “They’re the ones that have relooked at health benefits and ab- possibly a threat. searchers and they are culling sence management separately. Although the theory of manthe data and making decisions Increasingly, however, employaged care said that health plans and measuring impacts.” ers look at a worker’s frequent would encourage preventive sick days and wonder if stress care and manage chronic condiIncreased demand management training might tions, their failure to do so has The percentage of employers help. Could a disability claim prompted hundreds of specialty that primarily opt for wellness have been avoided if the emvendors to offer everything from vendors other than their health ployee had been offered help to disease and case management plan is growing. “If the trend constop smoking? Would a weightto smoking cessation programs tinues, that’s vulnerability for the management program reduce and lifestyle coaching. health plans,” Willette says. the number of knee-replacement “Now the health plans are Indeed, the rapid growth of surgeries? scrambling, saying, ‘We can do onsite medical clinics, which I 28 MANAGED CARE / FEBRUARY 2008
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