As cited by numerous reports, America has an obesity problem. This has become such an epidemic that the First Lady, Michelle Obama, developed the “Let’s Move!” program to help the nation’s youth tackle this issue. However, what can be done to help adults – specifically those you employ? What steps can you take to ensure that their health and well-being is accounted for?

The best way to address this growing problem is by creating and implementing a comprehensive employee wellness program that benefits your employees and helps your business control health care costs.

Creating an Employee Wellness Program

The first step is identifying a wellness company to partner with. At Graham, we work with BioSignia because they offer a variety of wellness services, including health coaching and care management solutions for employers. What makes their approach to wellness unique is that all of the key stakeholders are involved, including employers, employees, and primary care physicians.

The program starts with biometric screenings. These on-site wellness screenings provide information on all of the key clinical measures (height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, pulse rate) to properly assess an employee’s risk for chronic disease.

BioSignia then analyzes the collected data and approximately two weeks after the screenings, they mail personalized reports exclusively to plan participants. Following this, participants receive a phone call from a registered nurse that reviews their results with them. Through this educational process participants become aware of any issues that need to be addressed and how to go about remedying anything that requires their attention.

It’s important to point out that the data obtained from these wellness screenings is not released to the employer, only the employee. At Graham, we monitor aggregate report results that stratify the de-identified employee population by modifiable and relative risk, as well as disease states with the greatest potential impact of modifiable risk for appropriate wellness intervention. Using this information, along with data regarding historical medical claims, we can help employers identify “gaps in care.” This allows us to assist employers with implementing targeted programming and incentives to motivate at-risk employees to meet with their doctors to discuss test results and get the appropriate preventative care and treatment.

Obesity is a pervasive issue, but employers aren’t powerless. By working with an experienced wellness partner, you can implement a program that will benefit your employees and your business. If you need assistance with developing or executing a program such as this, don’t hesitate to reach out to your insurance broker. He or she will be more than happy to make sure you’re moving in the right direction.