In an ideal world, every company would offer onsite health care.
The Marathon Health Total Population Health Care model is designed to inspire people to lead healthier lives. Included in this model is our focus on working with high-risk employees and those who suffer from chronic conditions and helping them bring their weight, blood pressure, triglycerides, and other indicators within normal ranges.
This is important because, in addition to having a healthier workforce, companies can save money on healthcare costs by implementing onsite wellness programs. Studies show 20 percent of a given employee population account for 80 percent of total health care costs.
Companies can dramatically reduce costs if they invest in onsite healthcare.
Data and metrics vary, but one of the most comprehensive studies conducted two years ago found that workplace wellness programs generate significant savings.
The study, “Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings” was conducted by Dr. Katherine Baicker, professor of health economics in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Baicker and her colleagues found that “medical costs fall by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs and that absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent,” suggesting that “the wider adoption of such programs could prove beneficial for budgets and productivity as well as health outcomes.”
Those numbers seem to align with the projections we give to prospects interested in our services.
The way we document those savings is by using the following hard-dollar indicators: the value of redirected primary/acute care delivered but not submitted as a claim for the purpose of third party reimbursement, reduction in utilization of physician and hospital services, and reduction in work loss days due to illness. Other productivity indicators we use include reduction of presenteeism, reduction in turnover rate, and reduction in saved time away from work.
For more information about Dr. Baicker’s study, click here.
