Rising Costs Associated With a Chronically Ill Workforce

Rising Costs Associated With a Chronically Ill Workforce

The importance of preventative care versus disease management

The rising costs of a chronically ill workforce are forcing corporations to recognize the correlation between poor employee health and profitability, as this recent article in Forbes magazine highlights. The focus of this column is on self-insured companies, who are recognizing the extent to which they could save on health costs by implementing chronic care strategies. This is what I believe to be the missing link with our healthcare system. The emphasis of this article is on preventative care, not disease management.

My belief is in the power of preventative health. As such, the article emphasizes pre-disease intervention and lifestyle changes as a means to save more lives per dollar. The perfect corporate wellness program doesn’t exist yet, as they currently incentivize the healthier minority. However, although Corporate Wellness is a work-in-progress, the impetus is encouraging!