7/28/2019 Economic snapshot: Employers, employees benefit from a healthier lifestyle
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The bottom line
Mark Chronister, partner and head of
health and benefits practice in Dallas,
Mercer
Sheryl Jean, staff writer,
The Dallas Morning News
ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT | HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Employers and employees benefit from a healthier lifestyleBy SHERYL JEAN
Staff [email protected]
Health care costs
2011 2012
U.S.
Texas
Dallas-Fort Worth
$10,438
$11,003
$9,232
$9,770
$9,240
$9,641
Average benefit* cost per
employee:
* Includes medical, dental,
prescription, vision and
hearing benefits at companies
with at least 500 employees
Texas ranked No. 27 nationally for the overall well-being level of its residents in
April 2012, the same as in 2011. Hawaii was the top state. West Virginia was last.
Texas’ state of well-being1 HI
2 CO
3 MN
4 UT
5 VT
6 MT
7 NE
8 NH
9 IA10 MA
11 MD
12 SD
13 WY
14 VA
15 WA
16 CT
17 KS
18 CA
19 ND
20 WI
21 ME
22 ID
23 AZ
24 OR
25 NM
26 DE
27 TX
28 IL
29 PA
30 NY
31 AK
32 NJ
33 GA
34 FL
35 NC
36 MI
37 RI
38 MO
39 NV
40 SC
41 OK
42 IN
43 LA
44 OH
45 AL
46 AR
47 TN
48 MS
49 KY50 WV
The growth of health care costs to employers has slowed in recent years partly due to changes made by them and their employees.Many employers have shifted costs to employees by raising deductibles, co-pays/co-insurance or out-of-pocket maximums or
moving toward high-deductible health plans. Workforce health management, or wellness, has become a top long-term strategy to help control health care spending and encourage healthier behavior.
2011 2012
27 27
14 10
24 29
24 25
37 33
19 18
45 45
Well-being overall
Life evaluation
Emotional health
Physical health
Healthy behavior
Work environment
Basic access
Top quintile 2nd quintile Bottom quintile4th quintile3rd quintile
SOURCES: Gallup-Healthways Index Survey 2012; Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-sponsored Health Benefits 2012; Mercer; 2013 Nielsen Claritas; U.S. Census Bureau
Population (18 and older)
Austin
1,388,934
El Paso
595,273
D-FW
4,860,615
Houston
4,525,638 1,658,901
SanAntonio
Killeen
301,581
Overall rank2012 34 50 61 74 91 157
2011 36 163 64 68 55 168
Life evaluation2012 18 9 43 33 52 69
2011 33 87 34 40 13 97
Emotional health2012 71 94 70 81 123 182
2011 101 127 86 43 99 187
Physical health2012 66 24 40 29 120 152
2011 19 45 37 28 100 142
Healthy behavior2012 68 72 143 137 70 162
2011 103 63 137 125 121 107
Work environment2012 63 88 47 70 92 174
2011 41 189 71 62 79 179
Basic access2012 75 173 130 152 139 118
2011 73 187 114 160 111 156
McAllen
545,455
CorpusChristi
323,733
Beaumont
297,520
175 177 186
164 78 167
85 125 156
46 36 131
116 170 144
180 97 167
161 182 174
186 120 124
114 169 179
89 159 178
177 162 188
98 30 140
189 171 174
190 142 179
D-FW
Houston
Austin
Killeen
San Antonio
El Paso
Beaumont
Corpus Christi
McAllen
Texas
Where are people happier and healthier?People living in large U.S. metropolitan areas have higher levels of well-being than those in small towns or rural
areas. Only one of nine Texas metro areas (Austin) ranks in the top 20 percent; five are in the bottom 20 percent.
Large companies
Small businesses
Yoga at work U.S. big businesses were more likely than small businesses to offer a wellness program in 2012.
Offers at least
one wellness
program
Gym
membership
discount or
on-site gym
Smoking
cessation
program
Weight loss
programs
Lifestyle
coaching
Nutrition/
healthy
living classes
Biometric
screening
94%
63%
65%
28%
70%
28%
65%
26%
56%
21%
54%
23%
48%
13%
Texas metro areas
(200+ employees)
(3-99 employees)
NOTE: Ranking of 189 metropolitan statistical areas, following U.S. Census Bureau definitions.
“More health care options will be
available to more people as the new
health care law is phased in. However,
companies are concerned about
compliance with the law and rising
costs. It appears that most future
options will require
many employees
and individuals to
pay more and/or
be more proactivein managing their
health.”
“Of employers that have tried to
measure the return on investment of
wellness programs, about
three-quarters are satisfied. We
continue to see a significant increase
in employers each year looking to
health management
programs to help
control costs and
employers using
incentives to increaseparticipation in those
programs.”
“Longer term, you will start seeing
more requirements for the employee
to not pay a higher medical premium.
For instance, tobacco users or
employees with multiple risk factors
may pay more if they do not
enroll in a tobacco
cessation or other
program. You’ll also see
more wellness programsto reward employees for
healthier lifestyle changes.”
By MICHAEL HOGUEStaff Artist
Becky Hall, vice president of health and
wellness, Baylor Health Care System
Metro area
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