[Vision2020] Wall Street Journal: Health Costs -- Help for a Healthier You

[Art Deco]

      January 14, 2007 
     
     
      
            
     
      Health Costs
      Help for a Healthier You
      By JILIAN MINCER
      January 14, 2007

      If you've made health-related New Year's resolutions, your employer or health insurer may help pick up the tab.

      Many now offer free or subsidized programs to encourage people to improve their health and fitness -- ranging from free smoking-cessation programs and discounted gym memberships to reduced-cost spa gift certificates and on-site weight-loss programs.

      "A number of years ago, it was considered a nice thing [for companies] to do, rather than something that needed to be done," says Tom Billet, a senior consultant at human-resources adviser Watson Wyatt Worldwide. But now businesses and insurance companies "are really trying to improve the health status of their populations."

      The reason -- healthier individuals cost the companies less money, in an era when health-care costs keep rising.

      "Seventy percent of medical costs are due to lifestyle factors," says Linda Cushman, senior health-care strategist with Hewitt Associates, a human-resources consulting firm.

      An estimated 91% of diabetes cases, 80% to 90% of heart attacks, and 30% to 70% of cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes, according to the Wellness Councils of America, a nonprofit group. And considering that diabetes, for example, costs the U.S. an estimated $98 billion a year, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, there's a huge benefit to preventing these conditions.

      A Stealth Benefit?

      Still, while more and more companies are offering programs to boost wellness, many "do a lousy job of promoting these offerings," says Ms. Cushman of Hewitt Associates. She suggests checking employer and insurer Web sites as well as asking your firm's human resources department.

      Businesses want to help employees lose weight or stop smoking before they develop diabetes or heart disease. Many insurance companies start with printed and Web-based materials, but they try to keep workers motivated with "health coaches" available online and over the phone. About 40% of businesses surveyed by Watson Wyatt offer personal health coaches or health advocates.

      Help to Quit Smoking

      One of the most popular services is free or discounted smoking-cessation programs. In one example, the new Aetna Quit Tobacco program is a one-year program that provides personal coaching and support from tobacco-cessation specialists.

      Among other things, participants receive up to four motivational coaching sessions a month. They also get a six-week supply of nicotine patches, lozenges or gum.

      Weight-loss assistance can include free advice from dieticians and weight-loss specialists. Many companies offer discounts for Weight Watchers or other weight-loss programs. Some encourage participation with on-site meetings and subsidized fees. They're even organizing weight-loss teams, which compete for cash and gifts.

      Aetna offers eligible members discounts on the Jenny Craig weight-loss program and products, including a free 30-day trial membership and discounts on six-month and one-year programs.

      When it comes to exercise, 66% of employers provide fitness centers or subsidized health-club memberships, Watson Wyatt says. Mr. Billet says he has seen discounts of 30% or more for memberships.

      Insurance-company Web sites also have lots of articles on exercise and weight loss, including sample menus and exercise routines. Some offer discounts on massage therapy, yoga mats and even spa gift certificates.

      Meanwhile, if you are funding a health flexible spending account at work, you can use those pretax dollars to pay for some health-improvement efforts that aren't covered by your insurance. You can generally use those accounts for stop-smoking programs and, if considered medically necessary, for weight-loss programs. However, you can't use flexible-spending dollars to pay for gym memberships.

      Write to Jilian Mincer at jilian.mincer at dowjones.com1
     
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