The following statistics reveals that an extensive wellness program aimed to meet an organization's precise needs can preserve productivity by reducing absenteeism, health care expenditures, …show more content…
Currently, our healthcare system in the United States works more like a temporary Band-Aid for medical problems that in the end costs more money and creates more disease among the population; patients are treated for an initial diagnosis typically by being prescribed medication to help ease the side effects of an underlying condition. As this condition worsens, we spend more and more money trying to cover up the underlying cause of the condition with a Band-Aid.
Now that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been passed as Law (also known to some as "Obamacare"), companies will be required to provide health insurance for their employees or pay a fine. Same goes for individuals. By making health care a requirement, company's and individuals will be looking for ways to reduce the amount of health insurance claims. Health and wellness initiatives seem to be the answer to this. Health insurance companies will want to compete in the market and will do so by offering preventative health and wellness options along with incentives to urge people to adopt healthier lifestyles.
All these factors considered population health in our country would improve. By simple default it will be more affordable in the long run to live healthy than having to pay for the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle that comes with an increased use of health insurance and physician care