Dive Brief:
- A HealthMine survey of 750 consumers enrolled in employer-sponsored wellness programs revealed that 28% of respondents have been diagnosed with a chronic condition in the past two years.
- Approximately half (46%) discovered their chronic illness through a wellness program.
- Chronic conditions afflict nearly half of all Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and three out of four dollars spent on healthcare are for people with one or more chronic diseases.
Dive Insight:
Employees want help to know their health risk, according to HealthMine. In fact, a May HealthMine survey of 1,200 consumers with health insurance found that 74% believe wellness programs should include genetic testing as a way to identify risk for chronic conditions. Some large insurers have already begun to incorporate genetic testing into their wellness programs, even as program sponsors await pending regulation over privacy and other protections.
Most employees also want plan sponsors to offer health screenings, which can detect risk factors and uncover chronic illness. In fact, 74% of respondents said they would participate in vision screenings; 73% would complete a blood pressure screening; and 69% want a cholesterol screening.
"Plan sponsors can and do utilize wellness programs to beat the numbers – one member at a time," said Bryce Williams, CEO and President of HealthMine. "To succeed, wellness programs must enable people to learn their key health facts, and connect individuals to their personal clinical data anytime, anywhere." He added that when employees and plans are empowered with knowledge, wellness programs can make meaningful recommendations to individuals and help prevent and manage chronic disease.
