Blog

As firms continue to fight for their survival in the current recession, an increasing number of their employees have moved up a weight class – or two.

According to a recent Workforce Solutions, Inc. survey, 43% of our client companies workers have gained weight in their current jobs.

A combination of stress over the current economy and poor eating habits seems to be spurring the increased weight gain in the U.S. workforce.

Just how much weight are employees packing on? According to the study:

* 25% have put on more than 10 lbs., and
* 12% have put on more than 20 lbs.

• The study also dissected people’s eating habits and found:
  • 39% of employees eat out for lunch two or more times per week
  • 12% of employees buy lunch from a vending machine at least once a week
  • 67% of employees snack at least once a day, and
  • 24% of employees admit to snacking twice a day.

There’s a good deal of research that proves unhealthy staffers carry significantly higher healthcare costs. Taking a proactive approach to helping these employees can benefit their overall well-being, as well as your bottom line. This has been a proven fact in keeping the annual Health Insurance Premium increase below the national trend.

Fortunately, reversing bad habits doesn’t take a complete lifestyle overhaul. Experts stress that little things can have a tremendous impact in halting the weight gain, including:

  • bringing a lunch to work
• making it a point to get up from your desk several times throughout the day
• taking walks during lunch breaks, and
• biking to/from work

Find out how Workforce Solutions, Inc. can help your company manage Employee Health and minimize Health Insurance Premium increases.

Temporary insurance can be a money-saving alternative to COBRA for  employees or dependents no longer eligible for your health plan.

For employers, it’s a no muss, no fuss way to reduce your COBRA rolls and paperwork and also save cost increases during Health Insurance renewals. The COBRA notice recipient simply declines COBRA and lines up his or her own temporary coverage. This is another benefit of doing business with Workforce Solutions, Inc. The health insurance experts at Workforce Solutions, Inc. can help your employees find the most cost effective alternative to COBRA.

But the plans aren’t right for everyone. Here are four need-to-know issues:

• Plan expiration. Coverage under a short-term plan runs out faster than COBRA. While some policies offer coverage for up to a year, the majority run out within six months. The ideal temporary coverage enrollee is someone who expects to have a source of full-time coverage available in a month or two.

• Intended for major medical issues. In most cases, short-term plans health plans aren’t designed to meet routine healthcare needs. Rather, they are there to cover serious injury or sudden illness.

• Service limitations. While the plans often cover an array of high-cost medical issues (hospitalization, emergency surgery, etc) and prescription drugs, some major services most notably pre-natal care may be excluded.

• Deductibles. While the plans often carry much lower premiums than COBRA, they often come with high deductibles. Once deductibles come into play, it may cost the employee less money out-of-pocket to accept COBRA.

If you would like to help reduce your COBRA paperwork and cost, contact one of our HR Benefit Specialists today or tell Workforce Solutions, Inc. how you manager your COBRA by leaving a comment below.