The return on investment (ROI) for wellness programs is an important discussion to have – some research suggests wellness screenings and preventive care correlate to lower employer healthcare costs overall. Though very few employers measure a financial ROI, it’s understandable that finances are a concern.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that eliminating three risk factors – poor diet, inactivity and smoking – would prevent 80% of heart disease and stroke, and 80% of type 2 diabetes. These health risk factors are the precursors to a variety of chronic diseases, disorders and premature deaths, which now contribute to an assessed 90% of today’s $3.8 trillion in annual healthcare costs.
Viewpoints from Erin Milliken
But let’s take a step back from the financial lens and dig deeper into the meat of those intangible benefits.
Wellness programming, including preventive care, addresses the physical, mental and emotional health related to employee productivity, workplace loyalty and morale. In the era of the Great Resignation, every employer can use a leg up in recruiting top talent, retaining employees, drumming up greater workplace engagement and enhancing productivity.
Some wellness programs have leveled up over the years, adding financial, social and developmental health to their roster of topics.
These dimensions of wellness, along with the more traditional topics mentioned here, have a profound effect on employees and aren’t meant to be addressed in silos.
We have only scratched the surface of the true value and ROI advantages of long-term and well-designed corporate wellness programs.
Reach out to your account manager or our Wellness & Health Management team to learn more about the multi-dimensional wellness trend and how you can enhance your wellness programming. And follow along with our 2022 wellness campaign – we release fresh topics each month on our Wellness & Health Management page.
EPIC offers these opinions for general information only. EPIC does not intend this material to be, nor may any person receiving this information construe or rely on this material as, tax or legal advice. The matters addressed in this article and any related discussions or correspondence should be reviewed and discussed with legal counsel prior to acting or relying on these materials.
