Corporations are no longer able to trim extra savings out of their medical insurance programs, and most companies have been cost shifting, asking workers to cover more of their healthcare costs. Health insurance costs continue to climb (10 percent or more per year) at 2-3 times the general inflation rate. With nowhere else to turn, employers are – more than ever – looking to get workers engaged in Corporate Wellness Programs as a means of slowing healthcare costs and improving productivity.

For example, last year 53 percent of large employers provided health risk assessments (HRAs) for their staff, up from 35 percent just two years earlier, according to a Mercer survey. Change is being driven by cost, but Corporate Wellness Programs a win-win solution for both employers and workers.

Here are other Corporate Wellness Program trends organizations are implementing:

More companies are integrating Corporate Wellness Programs into their benefits plans. If they want the best plans or the lowest personal costs, they need to participate in the Corporate Wellness Program and meeting minimum goals.

More companies are offering worksite weight loss programs as a component of the Corporate Wellness Program, especially after Duke University’s new research showing the high cost of overweight workers and increased cost for worker’s compensation for sedentary and overweight workers.

Corporations are offering more Corporate Wellness Programs designed to assist workers with chronic health conditions: health coaches, nurse advice lines, telephone counseling, and self-study guides

Corporations are providing more web-based Corporate Wellness Program interventions and health information resources

More companies are providing regular worksite employee health screenings including cholesterol, glucose, A1c, blood pressure, weigh-ins, and other checks as a part of their Corporate Wellness Program. Some Corporate Wellness Programs even include bone-density checks and skin cancer screenings.

Many companies are providing fitness programs, either in the community or worksite, as a part of their Corporate Wellness Program.

Corporations are providing more prizes, rewards, and incentives getting engaged in Corporate Wellness Program activities

Some companies are adding emphasis to health maintenance. It’s one thing to lose weight or stop tobacco; it’s another to maintain these changes. Helping workers stay engaged and maintain their health changes is important for long-term success.

Corporations are putting more emphasis on keeping healthy people healthy rather than just working primarily with high-risk individuals. Research shows this approach results in a greater Corporate Wellness Program ROI.

Wellness companies are providing great resources for businesss’ workers over the Internet – online wellness centers, monthly health and wellness newsetters, wellness challenges, web-based points tracking systems, virtual fitness programs, web-based wellness coaching or interventions, interactive health calculators, healthy recipes, even downloadable health tips for your iPod.

Corporations who are becoming more proactive are making a big impact on their future healthcare expenses and productivity. Ohio State University announced that they expect to save $30 million dollars with their broad-based Corporate Wellness Program over the next 5 years!

Corporate Wellness Programs and prevention are sound ideas whose time has come. Health promotion is more fun and less expensive than treating disease.

References: TIME in partnership with CNN, “Businesses Help Workers Lose Weight.” Website accessed July 2007.