Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/722628
6 | forwardHR • F a l l 2 0 1 6 HEALTH AND WELLNESS Delivering the Best Health Benefits While Controlling Costs 5 Things for businesses to consider in the future By Jeff Ireland, M3 Insurance A ccording to the SHRM 2016 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement study, 62 percent of employees surveyed said health care/medical benefits were "very important" to them. Knowing just how valuable health care benefits are to employees, it is all the more important for employers to do what they can to deliver the best programs, all while controlling their future costs. Below are five things that businesses should take into consideration when selecting and shaping their health benefits packages. Educate Employees It is not uncommon these days for companies to require their employees to go through an annual health risk assessment, such as a check of their weight, cholesterol level, blood pressure and smoking status, along with a host of other measures. But too often, the information stops there. Employees need to know clear next steps about what they can do to improve their health – even small things they can do immediately to achieve "quick wins" in safeguarding their health. en work with your employees to provide them with needed resources to get and keep them healthy for the long term. Offer Employee Incentives Consider offering incentives to keep your employees interested and motivated in improving their health, like rewarding employees with a Fitbit or gi card once they attain certain fitness goals. Before deciding how to incentivize employees, consider your employee base to ensure that the reward will be truly motivating. A $25 gi card might be the perfect option for some companies but not others. Provide Onsite Health and Wellness Resources Look at ways to make it even easier and convenient for your employees to care for their own health, such as providing an onsite nurse at your place of business. e ongoing presence of an onsite nurse can help position that individual as a trusted resource for employees who are dealing with work- related and non-work-related health care issues, such as diabetes case management. Additionally, an onsite nurse can help reduce lost work time and boost employee productivity. Understand Health Care Costs Too many health care purchasers focus on the costs of individual services – like an MRI, office visit or surgical procedure – rather than the overall costs for the entire episode of care. Initial "savings" could end up costing much more in the long run, if the care provided is inefficient and causes delays in healing.