Corporate Wellness and Health Improvement Program

The primary reason for the "skyrocketing" healthcare costs has been because of the lack in proper healthcare education. Any healthcare program to be successful, while at the same time holding down costs, it is essential that the individual using the program fully understand all benefits or proper healthcare education and wellness.

The old ideas for the past twenty to thirty years has been "I have insurance and I'm going to use it", is longer going to be an accepted idea, particularly when the employer is paying the bill. Instead, by educating the employees and dependents using such tools as the internet, then employers can start to see dramatic decreases in their healthcare premium costs.

Example: by using the internet and selecting a site such as Medline Plus or WebMD, an individual can learn about any illness, and then taking this information i.e. questions, to a 1-800 number for a 24-hour nurse hotline, the individual can have the necessary medical information to medical problem and more than likely won't have to go to the doctor, saving the cost of a doctors visit.

Healthcare education and wellness programs coupled with the correct cost saving healthcare management plan, provides the employer a tremendous amount of flexibility in providing an efficient and cost savings healthcare benefit. The following list of web sites are the very best in medical information and are provided for your personal reference.

Web MD - Trusted Doctors information for you. - www.webmd.com

American Medical Association - Find a Doctor in Your Area - www.ama-assn.org

Medication Reference Library - Prescription Drug Reference - www.drugs.com

Medline Plus - Trusted Health Information - www.medlineplus.gov

Patient Care - Helping You through the Health Care maze - www.patientcare4u.com

Center for Disease Control - Travel related health topics - www.cdc.gov

The Health Connection - Alternative Medicine Doctors Network updated constantly - www.the-health-connection.com

Preventive illness has a direct affect on an employer's cost of health care, disability, worker's compensation, increased absenteeism, lower productivity, reduced safety and morale.

Investing in a corporate workplace wellness program is recognized by Fortune 500 leaders as the smart way to improve overall employee morale as well as reduce employee turnover and overall health care costs. By initiating a workplace wellness program in your organization you create a positive, energetic and productive workplace that provides meaningful gains for your business which consists of:

- Preventive health screenings - Health fairs

- Health risk assessments - Online health management tools

- Education - Newsletters

- 24-hour registered nurse hotlines - Employee wellness surveys

- Incentive programs - Employee communications

- Condition management (asthma, cardiac, diabetes)

- Lifestyle modifications (weight reduction, Nutrition, and Physical fitness)