The United States currently spends $2.7 trillion dollars on healthcare*, with the majority being attributed to chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis.
These chronic conditions are often the result of lack of exercise and poor nutrition.
This presents a problem, a responsibility, and an opportunity for US employers.
What is the problem?
It is likely that 2 in 4 of your employees has one or more of these chronic, often costly diseases.
What is the responsibility?
The Affordable Care Act mandated that all employers with 50 or more employees provide healthcare to their employees.
That means that you are bearing much of the financial responsibility and lack of productivity associated with these chronic diseases.
What is the opportunity?
While most employers have been advised to cut benefits to their employees as costs continue to rise, I would encourage you to think differently.
It’s a long road to improve our broken healthcare delivery system, but there’s a lot you can do to keep your employees from needing to utilize it.
The chronic conditions your employees are facing, or may face, are likely preventable with proper nutrition and consistent physical activity.
This means that you have an opportunity to keep them out of the place that costs you the most money.
I encourage you to proactively invest into their health and wellbeing.
*https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm
