APRIL 2008: BIZ LIFE, HELP DESK
Assessing
risks to reduce costs
These days, the health of an employee means a lot. So, as
health-care costs rise, more companies are recognizing the
value of providing preventive care. In order to understand just
what an individual should do now, to avoid everything from
asthma and diabetes to heart disease and obesity in the future,
many companies are turning to health-risk appraisals.
These questionnaires help take stock of an individual’s
general health and wellness or identify the chance of
developing specific diseases. The appraisals can include
hundreds of questions or just a few, depending on their
purpose.
The Oregon Center for Applied Science (ORCAS), a company that
receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, has
developed more than 100 behavior modification programs, many of
which include health-risk appraisals. The programs tackle
obesity, depression, alcohol abuse, smoking and stress.
“The goal of our programs is to help employees get the
right kind of help,” says Stacey Schultz, ORCAS president
and CEO. “We tailor solutions based on the results of
their health-risk assessment. For example, if you don’t
exercise frequently, we want to deliver a program that starts
you out slower than someone who exercises
frequently.”
But asking an employee to share details about their health with
an employer creates obvious privacy concerns. In most cases,
the process is HIPPA compliant, and outside entities handle all
of the appraisal’s results and recommendations. As a
precaution, both employers and employees should know upfront
where the information will go and how it will be used.
As an incentive to take the health-risk appraisals and
participate in subsequent programs, many companies offer
employees reduced insurance premiums, knowing that in the end,
healthy employees mean a better bottom line.
“Ultimately, these programs help make employees more
productive,” Schultz says. “And if employees are
healthier, there will be fewer health claims and benefit costs
go down.”
LUCY BURNINGHAM
Have an opinion?
E-mail feedback@oregonbusiness.com
