Medical experts encourage business leaders to provide wellness programs

Business owners must find ways to prevent costly health-care problems such as heart disease and diabetes now, medical experts said Tuesday. Otherwise, companies are prime targets to lose thousands of dollars in revenue and experience an increased rate of absenteeism among their employees.

"As a small-business owner or employee, you can't control health-care costs," said Jason Bandermann, business referral services manager at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. "But there are ways to control an employee's exposure to a destructive lifestyle."

Bandermann and Rhett Hendrickson, Healthworks coordinator at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, led the preventive-care round table discussion at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. Twelve businesspeople attended the hourlong presentation at 1267 N. Mount Auburn Road.

According to the Washington-based National Coalition on Health Care, in 2007 health-care spending in the United States reached $2.3 trillion, compared to $1.4 trillion in 2001. By 2016, that number is projected to reach $4.2 trillion.

The annual premium an insurer charges an employer for a plan covering a family of four averaged $12,100 in 2007. Workers contributed nearly $3,300, 10 percent more than they did in 2006.

Bandermann said if Americans adopted healthy lifestyles through wellness programs tailored to meet a specific business' needs, health-care costs would decrease as people would need less medical care. Offered at the area hospitals and other businesses throughout Southeast Missouri, wellness programs include health screenings, exercise classes and weight lifting.

Roughly half of those in attendance at the round table indicated their companies do not offer a wellness program. But both medical experts agreed the benefits of a company's investment in a wellness program is priceless.

"Investments in good health equals investments in human capital," he said. "We have to convince companies that it's a core business issue."

Among the counterproductive measures that Hendrickson said result in a loss in productivity is presenteeism, when employees must report to work regardless of illness or stress.

He advised against presenteeism, noting that an employee who is forced to come to the office may spend most of the day "with their head down and near the computer for seven-and-a-half hours" and less on doing actual work.

"Some employees don't want to use their vacation time, so they go to work sick," he said. "My advice is to stay home. Your company should have a policy that separates sick and vacation days."

Though the investment in providing sick days and other health insurance benefits may be expensive at first, the return will be worth it in the long run.

"It's hard to do, but it's in your best interests to do it," he said. "If you do, I guarantee you'll get a return."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137

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