The article in the NY Times says the plan is to give employers more of a say in helping to drive health behavior change through efforts delivered at the workplace.  Senator Tom Harkin, a Democratic voice of reason when it comes to healthcare, notes that “prevention and wellness should be a centerpiece of health reform.”  His advocacy in this area is long and well-documented.  But he seems to have gotten others from his party to come around as well.

What’s refreshing about this view is that it is giving focus to driving health behavior change among consumers so that they can delay or avoid accessing the healthcare system about lifestyle-related diseases or problems. 

This concept is similar to the strategy of Nixon’s “War on Drugs”, which was designed to tackle the problem at the source of drug importation.  By emphasizing consumer interventions with health improvement incentives and rewards, there is a fantastic opportunity to drive more “health” into the culture and begin to reduce the reliance on “sickness treatment” that exemplifies our healthcare system. 

Wellness has unfortunately been on the fringes of the healthcare system for far too long.  It had been viewed as soft and fuzzy and unscientific, but over the years the data have shown positive outoomes, and today many companies are already committed to using as way to address employee health. 

Look for even more innovations from companies like Healthways, SHPS, Alere, Health Dialog, Meritain and others that have proven programs in this space.  They have been given a golden opportunity to be at the center of health reform, and allow healthcare consumerism to really deliver effective solutions with measurable results for employee health. 

Frank Hone
Author, Why Healthcare Matters