Healthcare Works

Preventable disease is the cost of 75% of America’s healthcare costs and it can wipe out 50% of your companies profits along the way. About half of all deaths from heart disease are sudden and unexpected, so there's little opportunity for treatment. For people at risk of sudden death, prevention is the key.
In 2001 an estimated 516,000 coronary artery bypass procedures were performed on 305,000 patients. If all heart attack-prone people were treated surgically, the cost would be prohibitive. Technological treatments for heart disease such as balloon angioplasty, thrombolytic therapy (clot-busting drugs), antiarrhythmic drugs and pacemakers aren't cures. More importantly, such procedures can't slow the buildup of fatty deposits in arteries (atherosclerosis), which causes most heart disease. And because of supply problems and other issues, heart transplants aren't a realistic option for everyone with severe heart disease.

That's why more effort must be focused on prevention. Atherosclerosis often begins in childhood, but it may be decades before clinical disease shows up. We don't fully understand all the causes of heart disease, but many population studies have identified major risk factors and strategies to reduce the risk.
These are the risk factors we can modify, treat or control:

•    Tobacco smoke
•    High blood cholesterol
•    High blood pressure
•    Physical inactivity
•    Obesity and overweight
•    Diabetes mellitus

Return on Investment Facts:
Wellness services are one of the most worthwhile investments you can make. Below are some helpful facts to help you learn about the benefits of a preventive wellness program over time.
Did you know…

•    The American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that for every dollar an employer invests in worksite wellness, they can expect a $3 to $6 return on their investment.
•    According to PreventDisease.com, 70% of all healthcare costs are caused by illnesses that could have been prevented.
•    An estimated three million Americans ages 35-64 who are currently free of coronary heart disease will develop the disease in the next ten years in the absence of intervention to reduce risk factors, according to a study done by the Journal of American Dietetic Association.
•    The Journal of the American Medical Association stated that U.S. businesses lose an estimated $61.2 billion annually due to employees that come to work with illnesses that could have been prevented.
•    The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM) found that slowdowns and lost productivity caused by illness on the job, known as presenteeism, may account for up to 60% of employer healthcare costs.
•    About 90% of middle-aged Americans will develop high blood pressure in their lifetime, and nearly 70% of people with high blood pressure do not have it under control. Of the estimated 50 million Americans with high blood pressure, 31.6% are unaware of their condition.
•    The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that 60% of workers consider health and wellness programs an incentive to stay at their current job.
•    A North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services report found that smokers cost companies $1,429 more per year in medical costs than non-smokers and are absent 33% - 50% more often.
•    In a study of 3,066 participants, people with high BMI had $2,366 higher medical claims per year than those with normal BMI. They also had twice as may absentee days, accounting for $863 in lost work time and productivity per year. (Buton et al)
•    A study of 982 employees over a two-year period showed that obese employees averaged 4.93 more claims and $1,092 total health costs. (Tucker & Clegg)