Harvard Business Review Explores the "Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs"

In a recent HBR article, Leonard Berry, Ann Mirabito, and William Baun explored Johnson & Johnson's wellness efforts from 1995 to 2008 and found that J&J leaders estimate wellness efforts have saved the company $250 million over the past decade. More specifically, from 2007 to 2008 the company saw a $2.71 return on every wellness dollar spent. Click here to read the full article: http://hbr.org/2010/12/whats-the-hard-return-on-employee-wellness-programs/ar/1

Florida Health Care Coalition Study Published in Health Affairs

Companies can cut health-care costs - for themselves and for their workers - by lowering copayments on prescription drugs while promoting disease management, according to a comprehensive, three-year study commissioned by the Florida Health Care Coalition (FHCC). The study, reported this month in the journal Health Affairs, breaks ground by showing the direct cost benefits to companies that implement "value-based insurance design" and combine it with a disease management program that promotes and educates employees about preventive health care. Through lower co-payments, companies can earn a return (ROI) of $1.33 for every dollar spent up front on medication during a three-year follow-up period, the study found.  For those who do not have a subscription to Health Affairs, Merck has kindly provided a reprint of the article which can be accessed at http://www.scbch.org/wp-content/uploads/Value-Based-Insurance-Plus-DM-Increased-Medication-Use-and-Produced-Savings.pdf 

CDC finds an increasing number of diabetes, pre-diabetes cases

The CDC said Monday that about 26 million Americans have diabetes and 79 million have pre-diabetes -- up from 2008 figures of 23.6 million and 57 million. Approximately 7 million, or 27%, of patients with diabetes do not know they have the condition, according to CDC estimates.  For the full story, click here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hNZBVhVG-M1jxZtoU4olx8fzEokw?docId=CNG.2f43771e83b9067bef21d73ee8f670a7.8a1 

IBI Offers Free DVD Resource on Supplier Coordination

Benefits resources are scarce. Employers know they must coordinate their benefits suppliers to avoid confusing messages and overlapping initiatives for the greatest value from health-related benefits.  To this end, the Integrated Benefits Institute created a new "how-to" DVD resource that includes the required guidance, templates and tools. Now, employers and their suppliers can work together more effectively to achieve a superior employee experience, reduce waste and transform vendor relationships into true business partnerships.  To learn more and request your free DVD copy, click here: http://ibiweb.org/winningtogether

Creating a Healthier Community