Most large employers in the U.S. plan to invest more in the health and welfare of their employees, according to Hewitt Associates.
Hewitt, a human resources consulting attention firm in Lincolnshire, Ill., found that 63% of employers plan to take more aggressive steps to help employees improve their health. Included in their planning: increasing education efforts, implementing condition- management programs and using data analysis and other advanced programs to improve health and productivity.
Hewitt’s survey of approximately 450 major U.S. employers covering more than 8 million employees revealed employers continue to be concerned about the cost of health benefits but realize they need to begin “influencing the interactions between providers and patients,” said Jim Winkler, practice leader of Hewitt’s health management consulting practice.