HJBR Nov/Dec 2019

Wellness Programs 34 NOV / DEC 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of baton rouge   poor communication and no accountabil- ity for the employee’s actions? Of course not. Therefore, if an employer is inter- ested in a wellness program, they should do their homework in order to choose the right wellness program vendor. Employ- ers should choose vendors who are tech- nologically advanced, with an empha- sis on employee communication that will drive better engagement. More employee engagement in the wellness program can equal more cost savings. Also, an employer needs to decide whether he will reward good employee behavior with incentives, or pun- ish poor behavior with loss of employee pay. If the employer chooses employee punish- ment, the company’s wellness rules should be fair, ethical, and non-discriminatory.Also keep in mind that employee punishment may decrease employee morale. Employee accountability within the wellness program will equal more cost savings.  If you, as an employer, are undecided about whether or not your company should offer a wellness program, you should ask yourself if you have adequate management personnel available to ensure your wellness program is successful. If you have two hun- dred employees and only two people within your human resource department, then a wellness program may not be appropriate for you. However, if you have the proper staffing, the desire to improve your employ- ees’ overall health, and the diligence to see the plan through, then a wellness program can potentially save your companymoney. n Sources 1“Medical Care Priced at $1,000 in 2000 -> $1,894.22 in 2019”Historical Pricing for Medical Care in 2000 18 September 2019 2“Early Cancer Diagnoses Saves Lives, Cuts Treatment Costs”World Health Organization 3 February 2017 3“How to Live Longer,According to Science”The Healthy 2 January 2019 4“10 Statistics That Make the Case for Workplace Well- ness”SFM The Work Comp Experts 15 August 2018 5“The Scourge of Worker Wellness Programs”The New Republic 2 September 2019 Andrew Olinde,Jr. is a graduate of the University of Louisi- ana at Monroe with a Masters of Business Administration. He began his career in the health and wellness industry in 2008. Prior to joining the Gallagher Benefit Services’ Baton Rouge office, Andrew worked as an internal sales representative at Vantage Health Plan. Andrew is a certi- fied health insurance counselor in the state of Louisiana, and is currently pursuing the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist designation.