The medical care costs of obesity in the United State are staggering to a point that the these costs totaled about $147 billion. People who were obese had medical costs that were $1,429 higher than the cost for people of normal body weight as well as being associated with decreased productivity and chronic absenteeism (Finkelstein, EA, Trogdon, JG, Cohen, JW, and Dietz, W. Annual medical spending attributable to obesity: Payer-and service-specific estimates. Health Affairs 2009; 28(5); w822-w831). The potential financial impact to states and employers made prioritizing and promoting effective wellness programs essential. Consequently, from 1980-2000, the initiative of the wellness movement started to spread throughout different industries
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As a result, the government started to sponsor programs to promote healthier lifestyle in cities and states. The government passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to expand regulatory authority and stipulation of organizations in order to develop plan for wellness priorities. " PPACA along with the Health Benefit Exchange identified prevention as one mechanism required to implement wellness programs. However, PPACA only laid out a broad vision for incentives for wellness programs through payment methodologies, but with no details provided until future rulemaking" (ACA, Section 1311(g). "Act 48 expands the PPACA vision by adding goals of cost containment, improved health outcomes, and member satisfaction to language on plan payment incentives" (Act 48, amending 18 …show more content…
This program focused on employees' participation in physical activity, stress management, nutrition, smoking cessation, injury prevention, immunizations, access to healthcare, screenings (Blood pressure, cholesterol, mammograms, etc.). This program constituted as a reward program for employees who visited their physicians regularly for yearly physical, participated in physical activities and maintained healthy behavior as a way of life. By doing so, the employees received compensation as monetary deductions towards their health insurance co-shares up to $500.00 throughout the year. This reward initiative aimed at increase employees' awareness of their own health status and provides education and resources to help them get healthy, stay healthy and prevent existing illnesses/conditions getting worse.
Evaluating the Workplace Wellness Program. Does this program offer cost-effectiveness and savings for employers and health insurance companies as
As a result, the government started to sponsor programs to promote healthier lifestyle in cities and states. The government passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to expand regulatory authority and stipulation of organizations in order to develop plan for wellness priorities. " PPACA along with the Health Benefit Exchange identified prevention as one mechanism required to implement wellness programs. However, PPACA only laid out a broad vision for incentives for wellness programs through payment methodologies, but with no details provided until future rulemaking" (ACA, Section 1311(g). "Act 48 expands the PPACA vision by adding goals of cost containment, improved health outcomes, and member satisfaction to language on plan payment incentives" (Act 48, amending 18 …show more content…
This program focused on employees' participation in physical activity, stress management, nutrition, smoking cessation, injury prevention, immunizations, access to healthcare, screenings (Blood pressure, cholesterol, mammograms, etc.). This program constituted as a reward program for employees who visited their physicians regularly for yearly physical, participated in physical activities and maintained healthy behavior as a way of life. By doing so, the employees received compensation as monetary deductions towards their health insurance co-shares up to $500.00 throughout the year. This reward initiative aimed at increase employees' awareness of their own health status and provides education and resources to help them get healthy, stay healthy and prevent existing illnesses/conditions getting worse.
Evaluating the Workplace Wellness Program. Does this program offer cost-effectiveness and savings for employers and health insurance companies as