Doing Well by Wellness

By John J. Castellani

America's health care system has traditionally emphasized treating disease over preventing it. Recently, we have begun to see the consequences of that strategy in the form of increasing incidences of chronic disease and spiraling health care costs. As a country, we are hemorrhaging money treating common chronic ailments, money that could be saved with better preventative care and management of disease.

While policymakers continue to debate about how to cure this ailing health care system, U.S. businesses - the largest source of health insurance coverage for nonelderly Americans - are taking the lead by implementing comprehensive health strategies that emphasize wellness and address health risks, not just disease.

Changing behavior starts with changing the culture that supports it, as evidenced by a recent study of Business Roundtable members - 160 CEOs whose companies provide health care for more than 35 million Americans. The results revealed that companies are exploring more effective ways to communicate with their employees around benefits and wellness and making wellness opportunities accessible across the employee population. In short, they're creating a culture of wellness at work.

The study, Doing Well through Wellness, (PDF) also illustrates that as employee wellness programs have matured, their focus has sharpened into more tailored initiatives that fit the employees' needs and companies' cultures while responding to health care trends. The focus of many of the programs has shifted over time from the goal of maintaining general health and wellbeing to identifying, managing or reducing specific health risks to individuals. Customizable wellness and prevention programs empower employees to better understand and manage their own health care needs.

As the largest source of health insurance for nonelderly Americans, employers play an important role in driving innovation and progress. However, our efforts are only one piece of a larger puzzle. That's why we've joined forces with SEIU and AARP. It is our hope that together with the help of individuals and government, we can put America on a healthier path.

John Castellani is the president of Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with $4.5 trillion in annual revenues and more than 10 million employees.