MBGH Annual Employer Benefit Survey Reveals Growing Shift to Value-Based Bene...( Employers increasingly focused on...),Health

Employers increasingly focused on prevention and wellness

CHICAGO, May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- As the U.S. economy struggles, value-based benefit designs and consumer engagement strategies are gaining in popularity. These are among the findings in a nationwide survey of U.S. employers' views on the value of health released today by the nonprofit Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) at its 28th Annual Conference being held May 1-2.

Addressing more than 200 employers and health care stakeholders at the Midwest's leading employer-focused health benefits conference, MBGH announced the results of the Midwest Business Group on Health's 2008 Readiness to Change Survey. The presentation of select results is available on MBGH's website: http://www.mbgh.org/templates/UserFiles/Files/2008/Benchmarking/MBGH_Employ er_Survey_May2008.pdf

"We've found that employers are shifting their view of health benefits from that of a necessary expense to a critical investment in the health management of their employees," said Larry Boress, president and CEO of MBGH. "There is a growing trend toward the use of value-based benefit strategies -- providing financial incentives to motivate healthy behavior changes and improving access to proven, clinically beneficial care. Additionally employers are focusing on preventive care and the use of incentives to get people engaged, as opposed to the cost shifting we've seen in recent years."

Employer priorities for 2008

According to employers, key benefit priorities for 2008 include: getting employees more engaged in maintaining their health; improving chronic disease management; reducing the cost of benefits; improving utilization of preventive services; incorporating incentive programs to increase utilization of wellness/health promotion programs; and education efforts to help employees manage their hea
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