In an effort to motivate workers to adopt healthier lifestyles, some American employers are offering free health coaching at work.
Coaching sessions - during which medical professionals, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, offer advice to employees on how to get or stay healthy - are typically delivered over the phone or via the Web. But in an effort to reach more workers and better engage them, some employers are offering in-person coaching in the workplace.
Employers are offering financial incentives, such as contributions towards premiums, money for medical savings accounts, gift cards and prizes, to encourage workers to meet with coaches.
The aim is to identify health risks, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and then educate workers on how to reduce them through lifestyle changes or perhaps medication. Nipping health problems in the bud before they develop into costly conditions can save employers money on medical expenses, and can boost productivity.
Health insurer Cigna is hoping to harness the motivational power of groups in a coaching program aimed at improving cardiovascular health. The company is testing it on employees in Minneapolis and Connecticut.
Workers identified as potentially at risk because they smoke, are overweight, and have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a family history of heart attack or stroke, can participate in the program.
Cigna's program consists of one-hour group sessions with a coach two or three times a week for 6 to 8 weeks. During the course, participants learn about the difference between good and bad fats and how they impact the body as well as practical advice on how to read food labels and make healthy food choices.
By Ed Coury, Senior Editor and Midwest Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal Radio Network, Dow Jones & Co., and a reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950.
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