According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50-70% of health care spending today goes to treat “preventable chronic diseases.”  Chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and some forms of cancer are largely the result of lifestyle choices. Whether it is a high fat diet with few fruits and vegetables, lack of exercise, too much time in front of an electronic screen, or time on the couch, these lifestyle choices tend to catch up with us, contributing to diminished health.

 

As a result, employers’ health benefit expenses continue to rise at double or triple the rate of inflation, with no end in sight.  Businesses and organizations are struggling to gain control over the escalating cost of their health care benefit.  Reducing the benefit and shifting more costs to employees is not a long term solution.  Improving employees’ health - rather than just paying for their sick care - is an approach that has produced positive results for OMC’s client companies.

The graph below shows the percentage change year to year in medical spending per employee for one of OMC's clients.

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