In a recent conversation I heard something that was quite alarming.
The statement was coming from an insurance broker that has been using wellness to help their clients save money and improve their workforces.
We have been working together for a while, so it was actually a funny conversation to have.
While it was funny for us to discuss, the mindset of our client was not funny at all.
They told me what the client said and I just had to laugh.
The statement was as follows: "We can't afford to pay for wellness because our premiums keep going up..
..
we can't pay for it because we are paying too much for insurance.
" This statement just kills me! It wasn't the first time I heard it, but to hear it again was enough to baffle me.
This statement brings me back to the beginning of my business.
The time when businesses weren't sure that wellness was going to work for them.
Fortunately, most businesses that I run across now are not thinking this way anymore.
Fortunately, they see the value in wellness to their employees and to their businesses.
They are now saying things like: "We have been able to keep our premiums from rising by implementing wellness in our business.
" "The money we invest in wellness is minimal compared to the insurance cost of the conditions that we've dealt with.
" There are still some companies out there that don't understand it.
I'm not saying that is bad thing or saying that they are bad companies.
I'm not even expecting them to understand it.
That is what I do.
I have helped many businesses better understand how wellness can work for them and I will continue to do the same for many more businesses.
Why do most businesses understand this now? As I mentioned, I have been working hard to get the word out, there are many other articles and studies showing the results.
This all helps, but the most important teach tool is experience.
Just like any other area of business, doing something is the best way to get good at it.
The experience you gain from implementing a strategy is difficult to match.
That is why most companies now understand wellness.
They have done it and seen results.
That's right, if a company has started a plan and carried out any initiatives, they have seen results.
Where do you think all the studies come from? Why do you think my clients keep going with their wellness programs? Why do you think new companies are getting started with me every month? This is all happening because it works.
The only companies that don't know that wellness works are companies that have not tried it.
Actually, many have "tried wellness" by simply sending an email out to take a health assessment from their insurance provider.
This is not a true wellness program.
Until you have goals, a plan and a person or team to carry out this plan and clearly communicate it to a company-wide audience with a consistent language and frequency, you don't have a wellness program.
If you don't have a wellness program, you will not see any results.
Unfortunately, many companies are caught in this catch-22.
They don't think they can afford wellness, so they don't do anything.
When they don't do anything, their insurance rates keep going up while their employee health keeps going down.
It's no surprise to those in the industry, but it is still happening to many businesses out there.
How do businesses get out of this catch-22? There is one simple answer.
Get started on a wellness program.
I know it sounds like a commercial for me to say that you should get started on a wellness program, but it's the truth.
Not only do I believe it because I have seen so many people make health changes.
Not only do I believe it because I've seen the impact that this has had on their employer and insurance costs.
But I believe this because I have seen companies start from nothing, spend very little money, but see results because they had a plan.
I have also seen companies do nothing and get the same results: higher costs every year and more frustration because nothing changes.
Now, can health insurance costs still go up when you start a wellness program? Of course they can.
I've seen that too.
That doesn't mean that it doesn't work.
That doesn't mean that over time you can't change that trend.
Every business has a choice.
There are many things you can do to improve employee health.
A wellness program can help you decide what to do and how to do it.
There is only one thing you can do to keep employee health going in the negative direction that it's going now.
That is to do nothing.
By doing nothing, you know what you are going to get.
So it really comes down to two choices 1.
You can make a change and try to see new results Or 2.
You can choose not to change and get the same old results you are already getting The catch-22 makes even less sense to me when I see these two choices.
The first choice gives you an opportunity to create a strategy.
It allows you to be proactive and take control of your business.
Isn't this what you would do in any other area? In sales, finance, equipment maintenance, employee training, or any other system, you would choose option 1.
If you didn't choose option 1, you know the consequences would be.
It would cost your company money, time, reputation and even endanger survival.
Guess what, health insurance is becoming that significant.
It is costing more and more to provide and are taking less and less care of ourselves.
What does this mean? It means that your employees are becoming less healthy every day.
It also means that they are costing you more each day just to offer them insurance.
If your sales team was running up higher and higher expense bills and bringing in less business each year, what would you do? I think something in the way of option 1 would be in order, don't you? Health insurance is no different.
Improving the health of your employees is the best way to improve your health insurance plan.
You just continue to pay for people to not take care of themselves.
You will continue to see increases in cost and no one will change because they don't have to.
Your business is actually rewarding people for living unhealthy lifestyles.
To get out of the catch-22, you can get started.
It's that simple.
You can take control and see changes.
Wellness allows you to do just that.
Even a small step, will bring some results and give you a chance to get things going in the right direction.
Or you can stay in that catch-22.
You can cling to the old thoughts that you can't change.
You can keep complaining about healthcare costs, while ignoring your options to influence them.
If you don't want to change, you won't.
This may be fine for now, but it will catch up to you eventually.
If you can't change, you can't grow.
And in business, if you can't grow, you die.