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Client Resource Center Highlights Grassroots Legislative Tools Legislative Tracking Newsletters HUPAC |
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Wellness
At Issue
Personal behaviors and lifestyle choices are key drivers in the increased cost of health care. Research confirms that behavior is the most significant determinant of health status, with as much as 50 percent of health care costs attributable to individual behaviors such as smoking and alcohol abuse, and obesity. Behaviors such as these lead to many serious chronic health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart and cardiovascular disease. Consumers seek medical solutions for these health conditions instead of practicing healthier behaviors, and, as a result, current legislation promoting wellness behaviors is under debate in Congress.Personal behaviors and lifestyle choices are key drivers in the increased cost of health care. Research confirms that behavior is the most significant determinant of health status, with as much as 50 percent of health care costs attributable to individual behaviors such as smoking and alcohol abuse, and obesity. Behaviors such as these lead to many serious chronic health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart and cardiovascular disease. Consumers seek medical solutions for these health conditions instead of practicing healthier behaviors, and, as a result, current legislation promoting wellness behaviors is under debate in Congress.NAHU's Position
NAHU supports legislation that helps Americans achieve a greater level of health, as well as a higher level of cost-savings. Legislation that provides incentives for employers that establish wellness and disease-management programs for their employees should be enacted. In addition to tax incentives, NAHU believes that federal legislation should establish a safe harbor for those employers promoting wellness and health activities among their employees from non-intentional discrimination charges. NAHU encourages our nation's largest providers of health care coverage - the federal and state government plans - to lead by example in the areas of wellness and disease management by incorporating wellness and disease management benefits into all federal and state medical programs. NAHU believes that such benefits should also be incorporated into government-subsidized health coverage programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, SCHIP, and the Veterans Health System.NAHU's Action
NAHU fully supports the Healthy Workforce Act and similar legislation. NAHU has initiated a grassroots campaign to encourage action on the legislation and also obtain more co-sponsors for these bills.Legislative Action
Federal LegislationThe Healthy Workforce Act, Senate Bill 1753, was introduced in July 2007 by Senators Tom Harkin and Gordon Smith in an effort to provide incentives to businesses that offer a qualified comprehensive wellness program to their employees. The goal of this legislation is to reduce health-related costs for businesses while promoting healthy behaviors, creating a healthier nation. A companion bill, H.R. 3717, was introduced in the House by Representative Tom Udall. State Legislation
A number of state legislatures have been considering a variety of measures to encourage wellness, including tax breaks and other incentives for employers to offer wellness programs as employee benefits. One of the first and most comprehensive state-based wellness efforts is the Healthy Arkansas Initiative. This highly successful program applies to the state's 50,000 employees, Medicaid recipients, and other residents. The program encourages people to stop smoking, lose weight, and exercise more frequently. Arkansas state employees receive nutrition counseling, "walking" breaks instead of smoking breaks, paid leave as a reward for healthy behaviors, and discounted health insurance premiums if they agree to undergo a voluntary health risk assessment. Additionally, Arkansas' nearly 600,000 Medicaid recipients are eligible for similar incentives. For example, Medicaid now pays for nicotine patches and similar smoking-cessation tools. According to a ecent national study, 26% of all adult Medicaid recipients in Arkansas used tobacco products in 2002, costing the state an estimated $540 million. The state Medicaid program is also implementing a highly successful disease-management program to help curb costs and improve diabetes treatment.
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