Health Information Available for Retirees

An American turns 50 every 7.5 seconds — that's more than 10,000 people every day. By 2015, those 50 and older will represent 45% of the U.S.population. This group, known as the “Boomers,” will require more health care services as they age than any other generation of Americans. That can translate into higher employer health care costs¹.  

The good news is that Boomers are motivated to improve their health — and open to encouragement. Research shows that wellness programs can help Boomer workers become healthier and also reduce employer costs². 

Wellness programs = healthier, more health-conscious employees
That first step into a health club or gym can be the hardest one. Wellness programs give workers the nudge they need to commit. In a 2011 study, 23 percent more people visited a gym at least once a week if they did it as part of a wellness program. And commitment to a fitness program produced measurable results: as much as a 16 percent decline in hospital admissions and treatment costs.³

Healthy employees = employer savings
Employer-sponsored wellness programs are good investments. Employers can realize an average 28 percent reduction in work absenteeism due to illness and a 26 percent reduction in health costs. A recent Aon Hewitt analysis of 42 published studies found a $5.93 to $1 savings-to-cost ratio derived from wellness programs.⁴ 

The UnitedHealthcare Communication Resource Center: Employers’ wellness program “plug in.”
UnitedHealthcare is in the business of helping people live healthier lives. Besides employee assistance programs and wellness programs, we offer a wealth of health and wellness content on our Communication Resource Center (CRC). There, employers can find articles, tools, videos and more, including many targeted to the older worker, such as: 

• Food for the Heart
• How To Stay on Top of Your Medications
• For Older Runners, the Message Is - Keep Those Legs Pumping
• Making Sense of Medicare Initiative Helps Boomers Prepare   

Employers can pull individual articles directly from the site to plug into existing communications, or build a complete custom wellness newsletter online from the hundreds of articles on health and wellness.    

Sources:
¹AARP. The End of Retirement. December 31, 2002.
2How Wellness Incentives Can Reduce Health Care Costs, Industry Market Trends (June 2011)
³Incentive-Based Wellness Programs can Produce Cost-Saving Behavior Change, Vitality Group (May 2011)
⁴Wellness and Beyond: Employers Examine Ways to Improve Employee Health and Productivity,
Aon Hewitt (2011)