Employer Biometrics - Worth the Cost For Health Care Cost Reduction?

As employers throughout United States are trying to stave off rising emergency room costs, there is much talk and lots of creative action to inexpensive healthcare premiums and increase the health of our workforce. As many employers come up with a employer centric "wellness program", over and over, they think that the most important first step is to market and provide an easy venue collect basic biometrics... these often include, in addition to sort of, BMI, and blood pressure, lipid panel and fasting cholesterol.

And it isn't a bad idea. Getting individuals to "know their numbers" proven to indicate a propensity for high risk diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, etc. can be critical on the web individual personally engaging inside their health and taking tips for getting healthier. In add-on, because these prevalent high-risk diseases are creating some of the health care costs for any employer, getting employees to know their numbers is a great first step to start a wellness program. However, running tests costs money. There are many terrific biometric companies that might now bring licensed doctors to the workplace in order to these tests for ladies... making it convenient and include odds that employees would certainly participate. Depending on person that tests are included, these tests will generally cost between $30-$50 diminish person tested.

But these costs add up. If you are referring a 200 person initiate, you don't have a strong $10, 000 to run tests that may or may not prompt healthy action by your employees. And to trunk, for those employees which are getting their annual physicals because they should, their physician is likely repeating most of the same tests... the cost you to are also paying, either through insurance every-month payments or through costs passed to you if you are self-insured. Some companies will also be questioning the need so because of this wellness advancement effectiveness of running annual biometrics programs. For employers with employees under the age of 35, many advise that it is purely garbage to test biometrics on a yearly basis. There is just extremely little likelihood of significant enhancements made on measurement in a males population.

And the bigger question about effectiveness is whether taking measurement in and of itself will actually prompt any activity for individuals. Most smokers know they smoke and just having their biometrics taken and taking a health risk questionnaire will likely posess zero impact on causing any behavior change whatsoever. Many companies who come up with a "wellness program" by filming biometrics and using a health risk questionnaire, thinking that employees make do the rest once they have the next few paragraphs, are merely wasting their separate wellness investment unless those assessments are together with some tool that in addition be inspires behavior change. People simply do more than simply change their behavior as a result of information, they need another motivation. And note, many Health Risk Questionnaires do not need employees to put undoubtedly biometrics.

You can get started with digital tools by having employees complete all of the lifestyle information and calculate their biometric levels. In this way, if your digital tools also include behavior change modules, your employees can get started behavior change, the REAL outcome how the employer wants to promote in the first place, right?!

Starting this come down, there is more want to question the potential redundancy of employers loan a separate biometrics gathering of employees. Under new laws, employer health plans REQUIRE fully cover many protective services and tests... meaning that even co-pays for these services will be going moving upward for employees. So, employees will be further motivated to engage in preventive physicals and testing as it is "already paid for " given that premiums that employees are usually sharing. A recent article covering the New York Times explained the new legislative mandate: www. nytimes. com/2010/07/15/health/policy/15health. html? _r=3 www. nytimes. com/2010/07/15/health/policy/15health. html? _r=3.

So back towards the question: Should you, the employer gather the biometrics of your employees? Of course, it depends! Consider the following:

1) Are you ready longer doubling up of costs because those employees who are or will likely be engaged in annual physicals that you'll likely be duplicating holding tests?

2) Are you going to act with the biometrics to make motivate employee behavior shock?

3) Are annual biometrics really necessary for a majority of your employees due going at a age range of only the employee population?

Remember, it is important to consider the goals associated with an wellness initiative and what you, the employer, want to accomplish. Then, consider what the most cost-effective way is to get started to motivate employees toward permanent healthy habits change. Measuring health metrics is a good baseline activity, but be aware that it may add duplicate costs and it will likely require additional pecuniary in behavior modification motivations for your employees diagnosed with any real effectiveness.

Barb Reindl Pjevach
Senior VP, Medforma
medforma. com medforma. com
Medforma helps businesses reduce health care costs and improve employee health through simple and affordable Internet-based behavior change programs and resources. Confidential, trusted, and based on 35 many years of world-renowned research at the info Stanford University Prevention Browse through Center, Medforma programs empower people to improve their health and empower employers to decrease health care costs.