Women Health and Environment

You have to take action if your health care cost keep rising. Do not always think about big things, a series of small, incremental steps can make a big difference. This is based on a recent survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide of businesses that have limited cost increases in recent years.

You have to have these basic principles:

1. Prevention is important. Be aggressive in persuading employees to get regular checkups and enroll in disease management programs. Getting workers to care for their illnesses will lower the odds of expensive complications later on.

2. Give workers a stake in lowering costs. Financial incentives are a smart investment if they decrease the number of costly illnesses.

3. Pay attention to those employees who smoke, are overweight or who have chronic problems, such as diabetes or heart conditions because they have a high risk.

Companies also can do by provide free prevention services, such as flu shots and mammograms. Some also cover the entire cost of drugs for low-income employees with chronic illnesses so they are can be easier to take medicines that can heal their disease.
Other businesses also reward pregnant women for joining prenatal nutrition programs. You have to know that a premature birth with complications can cost a firm millions of dollars.

Also, companies can have plans that offer incentives for weight-loss, fitness and stop-smoking regimens. Basically, employers should be careful, though, to reward all workers for healthy lifestyles. Otherwise, they could inadvertently create morale problems and prompt complaints of unfair treatment.
The key to all efforts is making sure workers have the tools they need, including access to information. Provide specific data on the quality and cost of doctors in your area so employees can be smart consumers. Internet-based systems let them compare the prices and success rates of specific health care providers.

Another way is to charge for spousal coverage if the spouse works and is eligible for other insurance. A typical surcharge is $100 a month.
Health Savings Accounts are also effective in cutting costs. If it is combined with a high-deductible insurance policy, it would be a tax deductible.