Cleveland Clinic Helps Employees Get Healthier
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
The Clinic offers yoga classes to employees and its on-campus gym is also free for workers. Use has risen from an average of 21,000 hours annually to more than 240,000 hours this year. Participation in Weight Watchers is also free and employees have lost about 250,000 pounds since 2005.
But the changes in the Clinic’s self-insured health plan, which has seen the flattening of its health care costs, was perhaps the biggest driver of slowing the workforce’s rising health care costs, said Dr. Paul Terpeluk, medical director of the Clinic’s Employee Health Services.
“Two years ago when we started this program, we had a 9 percent increase in the premium,” Terpeluk said. “We told people if they joined and met their goals, they would get that 9 percent back.” That year, 16,000 people joined.
I’m a big fan of initiatives like this. When you make it easier for people to take positive steps, they respond. If only more large employers (like the company my husband works for!!!) were this enlightened.
October 31, 2011
That is a great idea. Some companies do have the foresight to see that a healthy employee is more likely to be a happy one.
I agree with you that more companies should join in on this concept. I’m sure most would see it as an added expense, instead of a potential benefit for them.