| As employers throughout United States are trying to | | | | health risk questionnaire, thinking that employees make |
| stave off rising healthcare costs, there is much talk | | | | take it from there once they have information, are |
| and lots of creative action to lower healthcare | | | | merely wasting their wellness investment unless those |
| premiums and increase the health of our workforce. | | | | assessments are coupled with some tool that also |
| As many employers embark on a employer centric | | | | inspires behavior change. People simply do not change |
| "wellness program", often, they think that the most | | | | their behavior as a result of information, they need |
| important first step is to encourage and provide an | | | | some other motivation. And note, many Health Risk |
| easy venue to gather basic biometrics... these often | | | | Questionnaires do not REQUIRE employees to put in |
| include, in addition to weight, BMI, and blood pressure, | | | | specific biometrics. |
| lipid panel and fasting cholesterol. | | | | You can get started with digital tools by having |
| And it isn't a bad idea. Getting individuals to "know their | | | | employees complete all the lifestyle information and |
| numbers" that can indicate a propensity for high risk | | | | estimate their biometric levels. In this way, if your digital |
| diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. | | | | tools also include behavior change modules, your |
| can be critical to the individual personally engaging in his | | | | employees can get going on behavior change, the |
| or her health and taking steps to getting healthier. In | | | | REAL outcome that the employer wants to promote |
| addition, because these prevalent high risk diseases | | | | in the first place, right?! |
| are creating much of the health care costs for any | | | | Starting this fall, there is more reason to question the |
| employer, getting employees to know their numbers is | | | | potential redundancy of employers paying for a |
| a great first step to start a wellness program. | | | | separate biometrics gathering for their employees. |
| However, running tests costs money. There are many | | | | Under new legislation, employer health plans MUST |
| terrific biometric companies who can now bring | | | | fully cover many preventive services and |
| licensed health care professionals to the workplace to | | | | tests...meaning that even co-pays for these services |
| run these tests for employees...making it convenient | | | | will be going away for employees. So, employees will |
| and increase the odds that employees will participate. | | | | be further motivated to engage in preventive physicals |
| Depending on which tests are included, these tests will | | | | and testing because it is "already paid for " in the |
| generally cost between $30-$50 per person tested. | | | | premiums that employees are sharing. A recent article |
| But these costs add up. If you are leading a 200 | | | | in the New York Times explained this new legislative |
| person company, you don't have an extra $10,000 to | | | | mandate: |
| run tests that may or may not prompt healthy action | | | | So back to the question: Should you, the employer |
| by your employees. And to boot, for those employees | | | | gather the biometrics of your employees? Of course, it |
| who are getting their annual physicals as they should, | | | | depends! Consider the following: |
| their physician is likely repeating most of the same | | | | 1) Are you ready for the doubling up of costs because |
| tests...the cost of which you are also paying, either | | | | those employees who are or will likely be engaged in |
| through insurance premiums or through costs passed | | | | annual physicals that you will likely be duplicating paying |
| to you if you are self-insured. Some companies are | | | | for tests? |
| also questioning the need and wellness advancement | | | | 2) Are you going to DO something with the biometrics |
| effectiveness of running annual biometrics programs. | | | | to motivate employee behavior change? |
| For employers with employees under the age of 35, | | | | 3) Are annual biometrics really necessary for a |
| many advise that it is purely a waste of money to test | | | | majority of your employees due to the age range of |
| biometrics annually. There is just not much likelihood of | | | | your employee population? |
| significant change in measurement in a younger | | | | Remember, it IS important to consider the goals of |
| population. | | | | your wellness initiative and exactly WHAT you, the |
| And the bigger question about effectiveness is | | | | employer, want to accomplish. Then, consider what the |
| whether taking measurement in and of itself will | | | | most cost-effective way is to get started to motivate |
| actually prompt any action for individuals. Most | | | | your employees toward permanent healthy behavior |
| smokers know they smoke and merely having their | | | | change. Measuring health metrics is a good baseline |
| biometrics taken and taking a health risk questionnaire | | | | activity, but be aware that it will add duplicate costs |
| will likely have no impact on causing any behavior | | | | and it will likely require additional investment in behavior |
| change whatsoever. Many companies who embark on | | | | modification motivations for your employees in order to |
| a "wellness program" by taking biometrics and using a | | | | have any real effectiveness. |