Health care is one of the most costly sectors in America, with insurance plan rates skyrocketing and exclusivity creating a gap between the average American and optimum health. Still, health care is a necessity, and Americans do spend a lot of money to maintain their health and address problems.
This has caused large corporations such as Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola Co to campaign for the reduction of health care costs, by means of wellness programs that focus on improving overall employee health and well-being.
Coca-Cola and J&J are just two of the other big companies included in the new group called The CEO Council on Health and Innovation. Other members include bigwigs from the Bank of America Corp, Verizon Communications Inc, Walgreen Co, McKinsey & Co, Verizon Communications Inc, Aetnoa Inc, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and Institute for Advanced Health.
The group's health care benefits covers up to 150 million people in total.
A press conference in Washington D.C. in alliance with the Bipartisan Policy Center witnessed the council's formal announcement and message to employers throughout the United States, encouraging them to adopt comprehensive wellness programs that will focus on improving nutrition and weight management, highlighting the importance of physical activity, assisting employees in quitting smoking, and managing chronic diseases.
They also advised employers to use positive reinforcement such as incentives to help employees adopt these wellness programs, as well as modify existing company health benefits in a way that would motivate employees to take preventive steps for their health and well-being.
Wellness programs in workplaces belong to a $6 billion industry. The business community favors such initiatives due to its capacity to boost levels of productivity among employees. These programs also help cut absenteeism and minimize medical costs.
In fact, a number of top executives belonging to the council affirmed that their wellness programs have been successful in reducing costs not only for the company but for the employee as well.
