More and more companies are realizing the financial benefits of implementing a corporate wellness program – and they’re learning how to take advantage of them.

These programs, such as corporate wellness Houston program Healthy Start MD, are a supplemental plan that can be implemented by the company in addition to medical insurance.  The plans offer each employee in the company an annual checkup with preventive tests and screenings, consults with a dietician and exercise therapist, and access to an online patient portal.  The patient portal is a login screen that allows patients to communicate and consult with their physician, track their health and vital signs daily, view their test results, and track their exercise and diet progress.

Though these programs are often extremely affordable and can start as low as a few dollars per employee per month, they do more than simply boost employee morale and promote the company as a positive work environment.  Many companies are reporting huge savings on preventable medical expenses for their employees as a result of the preventive care offered by the corporate wellness programs.  Companies can also see improved productivity and fewer sick days with healthier employees.

Georgia- and Texas-based WIKA Instruments decided to implement a corporate wellness program in 2008, and their program has been a huge success both financially and with the employees who participate.  WIKA chose to make participation optional, offering a 10% discount of health insurance premiums to employees who joined the program.  99 percent of employees opted to participate in the program, allowing them to save between $400 and $1,200 the second year.  Environmental Health and Safety Manager Cathy Bochenek reports that the money the company saves far overshadows the meager $45,000 spent on the corporate wellness program in the last year.  “We probably saved $300,000 just last year,” she says.

Wellness programs aren’t guaranteed to catch on among employees, so it’s important for companies implementing them to take measures to motivate employees to participate.  In WIKA’s case, they offered financial incentives for taking part.  Research by Leonard L. Berry of Texas A&M University suggests that employees may be more motivated to join a wellness program when they see individuals of high authority in the company joining – such as CEOs and other high-ranking executives.

Studies calculate the average return-on-investment for a corporate wellness program to be between 3:1 and 6:1 – that is, between three and six dollars saved for each dollar invested in the program.  That’s an enormous amount of benefit for the company as well as an excellent way to give back to hardworking employees who deserve the best.

For more information on corporate wellness programs Houston, visit www.healthystartmd.com.