Worker fitness tied to lower insurance rates, fewer claims - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Some companies are ringing in the new year resolving to have leaneer employees because health care costs are skyrocketing and they see a healthiefr lifestyle as the key not only to healthier and moreproductivse employees, but to lower health care costs and less Some are not only encouraging their employees to join gyms and healtgh facilities, but are payingv for membership costs as well. New Mexico'sx enrolled in a corporate membership programat . Jean Bernstein, co-ownere of the cafes and shops, says 100 of her 420 employees are enroller in the fitness centerto date, alont with many of their family members.
Flying Star pays 67 percent of anindividual employee'a fitness costs and 71 percentt of a family's or household's membership costs, regardlessd of how many members are in the Under the current arrangement an employee with a familyh of four would pay only $30 a month to enrolkl all four family members. By a family of four paying its own way entirely woulf paynearly $200 a month. Bernstein says employees didn'tt always have it so good. When the cafe first startedf offering fitness memberships to its employeee abouta year-and-a-half ago, they only had 15 people sign up.
The reasojn for the low enrollment: Bernstein says the businessz didn't do as well promotinfg and advertising the program toits employees. "We were able to providd a more aggressive pricing plan for them and we went out andpromoter it," Bernstein says. "We also have a much bettere orientation program so all employees signing onto the companyunow have, in addition to a benefits an orientation where it's all laid out before She says participation in the program also increased as more storde managers encouraged their employees to get involved.
Bernstein says she is considering revisinghthe company's health insurance policy to reward employeess who take advantage of the fitnesxs program and other healthy living initiatives with reduced She says fitness and wellness programs will help her cut down on long-terkm health insurance costs. (PNM) also provides its employees with discountsw to local gyms andfitnesws centers, but takes the matter one step It offers an in-house gym and fitnessz classes, such as yoga, pilates and aerobics, for a few dollares a month.
PNM spokeswoman Susan Spona r says the publicutility doesn'yt get lower insurance rates because of its fitness and prevention but says the company has reduced the number of expensive insurance claims filed by employees and seen its insurances rates rise only slowly. "The cost of health care has been increasingg by about 10 to 15 percent nationally in the last several years," Sponar notes. "Th rates for PNM employees have been flat and stayec at 3 or4 We're encouraging people to take care of themselve and they are.
" , the state's largest healtnh club with three location in Albuquerque and one in Rio participates in a government-subsidized health plan for seniors calledd "Silver Sneakers." Defined Fitness' General Manager Anndee Wrigh t Brown says it receives government funding for every seniort who participates in the health and fitness club. She says the like businesses, would rather spend money on prevention program s than on expensivemedicap procedures. "I think the wave of the future will be healthu clubs partnering with health plans to keep costs WrightBrown says. "Businesses will get tax breaks and pay less in healthn premiums if their employeesare healthy.
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