HJBR Nov/Dec 2019

Healthcare Journal of baton rouge I  NOV / DEC 2019 31 T he number one asset for employers is their employees, who bring skills, experience, and knowledge to the company. Other than com- petitive pay, the best way employers can recruit the best employees is to offer excellent benefits. The most appealing aspect of an employer’s benefit package is often the group health insurance. However, for a mul- titude of reasons, medical costs are trending upward, and are expected to increase another 6 percent for 2020, which is an 89 percent inflation rate since 2000. 1 Employers are desperately searching for ways to make their group health insurance plans more sustainable. One of the latest devel- opments within the health insurance industry is the employer sponsored wellness program.  Do Employer Sponsored Wellness Programs Reduce Costs? By Andrew Olinde, Jr. Wellness Programs