Abstract

In 2004, the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills developed an employee-based, volunteer programme known as the Lifestyle Incentives For Employees (LIFE) Plan to encourage weight management, exercise and cessation of tobacco use. The purpose of this study is to: (a) compare the health expenditure costs of 41 employees with continuous enrolment in the LIFE Plan and 32 employees who never enrolled in the LIFE Plan; and (b) describe the Wellsource Personal Wellness Profile data of the 620 LIFE Plan members since the inception of the programme, with emphasis on chronic medical conditions affecting number of sick days and hospital days. The data show a downward trend in the annual healthcare expenditures for LIFE Plan members. For the most commonly reported medical conditions from the profile data, individuals with hypertension, arthritis, back pain and joint pain have more sick days and more hospital days than individuals without these medical conditions. The LIFE Plan shows the possibility of reducing high health insurance costs using an employee-based health programme. By incorporating clear worksite health education messages to encourage behaviour changes that remedy chronic conditions, the longitudinal results are expected to contribute to greater cost reductions in the future.

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