hr practice
The Future of Health
Insurance is Health
Employee benefits are costly – typ-ically
the second largest expense
for employers – and the trend
will continue as healthcare costs
continue to skyrocket. Premiums for
employer-provided health insurance rose
five per cent for family plans and three
per cent for single premiums over the last
year. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 75 per cent of
healthcare costs derive from preventable
chronic conditions, yet only three per cent
is spent on prevention.
While expanding preventative health-care
to be more accessible and flexible will
reduce healthcare costs over time, organi-zations
must play a key role in helping their
employees remain healthy now. People
are an organization’s primary competi-tive
advantage. Therefore, it’s imperative
for HR leaders to implement a culture of
wellness and prevention.
SPEARHEAD HEALTHIER
LIFESTYLES WITHOUT
DISRUPTIVE POLICY
CHANGES
By Michael Serbinis
PRIORITIZE HEALTH
AND WELLNESS
The future of health will be driven by small,
habit-sized lifestyle changes – improving
diets, exercising more and getting regular
check-ups. This mentality can be applied in
the workplace as well; health and wellness
programs are no longer just extracurricu-lar,
out-of-office activities. Employers can be
influential in spearheading a healthier lifestyle
without making disruptive policy changes.
For instance, employers can implement
simple and repeatable programs such as
onsite flu shots, nutrition consultations
and group fitness classes. The connection
between mental and physical health can-not
be ignored: People with serious mental
health conditions have a higher risk of
experiencing chronic physical conditions
and vice versa. While this may seem like
a daunting topic to address, mental health
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HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ CONFERENCE ISSUE 2019 ❚ 33
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