Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/100667
Employee wellness assessments are gaining in popularity in northeast Wisconsin and nationwide as costs continue to rise. And while more workers are rolling up their sleeves for testing, many are concerned whether their health risk status should be a public matter. ���The employers we serve get to see an aggregate summary of risks for the total employee population, but we keep individual results confidential,��� says Michael Naparalla, president and coowner of Healics, the oldest privately held risk assessment company in Wisconsin. With offices in Appleton and Williams Bay, the nurse ownedand-operated company supports employer-sponsored wellness programs across the nation with worksite health screens, individual and group health risk reports, health coaching and online interactive wellness resources. It���s all about risk Naparalla says nationwide, 20 percent Clint Dusenbery, a building engineer at Secura, is one of many employees who benefit from the company���s wellness programs. New North companies know they can save in the long run by helping employees make healthy choices. of employees are driving 80 percent of health insurance costs for companies. For every 100 employees a business has, 63 are overweight or obese, 38 have high cholestorol, 24 don���t exercise, 29 have high blood pressure and 18 smoke or chew tobacco. ���We do have a lot more manufacturing in the New North, and as a general trend we know that men in those industries tend not to go to the doctor for regular checkups,��� says Naparalla, who sees an increased risk of cardio issues in the Dairy State. According to the World Health Organization, 80 percent of all heart disease stroke and Type 2 diabetes, and up to 40 percent of cancers could be prevented if people ate healthier, exercised more and stopped using tobacco. But scary statistics don���t produce change: motivation does. A culture of wellness [continued] �� Continual support with Introducing Prevea360 Better benefits. Lower premiums. Real business solutions. Prevea360 is a better kind of health plan. It���s a true collaboration of trusted health care and insurance experts that drives unnecessary costs out of the entire health care process. And because Prevea360 was developed by and for the people of Northeast Wisconsin and the Lakeshore, resources are reinvested locally to continue improving health care right here at home. To see how much you could save call 1-877-230-7615 or visit prevea360.com. Underwritten by Dean Health Plan, Inc. w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m J a n u a r y 2 013 ��� Insight | 35