How can employers help their employees manage their chronic health care needs?
To offer the most effective disease management program, employers should work with their health plan to analyze members’ claims to not only identify which chronic conditions are most prevalent in their worker population, but to also identify those whose illnesses might be undiagnosed or who might be at risk for chronic disease in the future.
The most basic programs educate and offer tools. Some begin using basic care management, such as having a nurse contact employees with chronic conditions to check on them or to ask if they are taking their medications. More involved programs, however, take it further and utilize full care management and coordinate resources by helping employees coordinate care among doctors, tracking prescriptions and offering a health care professional to help patients deal with health issues before they become a crisis.
Once a program has been established, the next step is to engage employees and convince them that participating in the program can help improve their lives and reduce the number of complications related to the disease. An employer’s health plan can assist in this by reaching out to members to provide information about the program. In addition, the employer should be doing everything it can to get the word out to employees about the program. This information should be very visible, with a clear, consistent message highlighting the benefits of taking advantage of the program and encouraging participation.
How can employers encourage employee participation?
Employers can encourage employees to participate in disease management programs by increasing their awareness through education of best practices to manage their health, as well as by offering incentives such as reduced drug costs and waived co-pays. A points-based program, in which participants earn points for certain behaviors, can also help to encourage compliance. Under such a program, points are typically accumulated and exchanged for rewards such as additional money deposited into the employee’s health savings account, a reduction in health care premiums or a free or reduced-cost gym membership.
Offering such a plan can also help alleviate workers’ anxiety about their conditions. Many of those impacted by chronic conditions worry not just about the condition, but also its impact on their home and work lives. By showing employees you care about their health and by working with them to improve it, you can remove the anxiety that could detract from their performance at work.
Employers should also reassure employees that the fact that they’re taking advantage of a disease management plan won’t be disclosed and won’t impact their employment. Make sure that employees understand that the program is being offered for their benefit and that third-party administrators will not disclose employee health records or other information to company officials.
MARTY HAUSER is the president of SummaCare, Inc., a provider-owned health plan located in Akron, Ohio. SummaCare offers a full line of health plans and ancillary products. Through its extensive network of more than 7,000 providers and more than 50 hospitals, SummaCare offers coverage to more than 115,000 members throughout northern Ohio. Reach him at [email protected].
