Comments on: Fight Recession With Health http://www.ruraladvocate.org/2009/06/101/ Rural health as it is and we hope it to be Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:35:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Tim http://www.ruraladvocate.org/2009/06/101/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Tim Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:01:52 +0000 http://www.ruraladvocate.org/?p=101#comment-118 Points well taken. Wasn't trying to say age more important than behaviors. Was trying to say that the we who are older have had more time for the accumulated unhealthy behaviors to have consequences. Also believe that the impact of the large Baby Boomer cohort on costs is helping people to look more closely at wellness, regardless of age. Points well taken. Wasn’t trying to say age more important than behaviors. Was trying to say that the we who are older have had more time for the accumulated unhealthy behaviors to have consequences. Also believe that the impact of the large Baby Boomer cohort on costs is helping people to look more closely at wellness, regardless of age.

]]> By: William McPeck http://www.ruraladvocate.org/2009/06/101/comment-page-1/#comment-117 William McPeck Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:34:04 +0000 http://www.ruraladvocate.org/?p=101#comment-117 While health care costs do increase slightly with age Tim, age is not the biggest driver. The biggest driver is the number of health risks the individual has. At any age, the greater the number of health risks an individual has, the greater their health care costs. The good news here, as you noted, is that health risks are modifiable, while chronological age is not. While Wisconsin does have a great worksite wellness toolkit online, many other states have also posted their worksite wellness related toolkits on line. Thanks to the Internet, employers looking to start a worksite wellness program today have a range of resources and toolkits to choose from. An easy way to find these other resources is through the federal CDC's (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Healthier Worksite Initiative at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/hwi/ Wisconsin employers are also lucky in that many of the best and brightest leaders in the worksite wellness movement gather each July at the National Wellness Conference held at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Employers can find out more about the Worksite Wellness Academy by contact the National Wellness Institute in Stevens Point. Thanks for posting the information about Thrive. Collaborative strategies are important, especially for the small employer. Bill McPeck Worksite Wellness Program Consultant Maine While health care costs do increase slightly with age Tim, age is not the biggest driver. The biggest driver is the number of health risks the individual has. At any age, the greater the number of health risks an individual has, the greater their health care costs.
The good news here, as you noted, is that health risks are modifiable, while chronological age is not.

While Wisconsin does have a great worksite wellness toolkit online, many other states have also posted their worksite wellness related toolkits on line. Thanks to the Internet, employers looking to start a worksite wellness program today have a range of resources and toolkits to choose from. An easy way to find these other resources is through the federal CDC’s (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Healthier Worksite Initiative at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/hwi/

Wisconsin employers are also lucky in that many of the best and brightest leaders in the worksite wellness movement gather each July at the National Wellness Conference held at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Employers can find out more about the Worksite Wellness Academy by contact the National Wellness Institute in Stevens Point.

Thanks for posting the information about Thrive. Collaborative strategies are important, especially for the small employer.

Bill McPeck
Worksite Wellness Program Consultant
Maine

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