Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Dr. Eric Bricker, Chief Medical Officer of Compass Professional Health Services. We hope you enjoy Dr. Bricker’s wisdom and perspective.

The February 28, 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article by Dr. Michael Fischer and Dr. Jerry Avorn entitled, “Step Therapy—Clinical Algorithms, Legislation and Optimal Prescribing,” that explains the benefits of step therapy, an approach intended to control the costs and risks posed by prescription drugs.

Step therapy is a relatively new program offered by insurers and pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) that requires patients to try lower cost or generic medications before they can ‘step up’ to a more expensive medication.

On Friday, March 24, 2017, Republican leaders withdrew their overhaul of the nation’s health care system, commonly referred to as repeal and replace, from the House floor. What this means for employers is the employer mandate, tax reporting, measurement periods, and employee tracking remain part of our daily activities. “Obamacare is the law of the land for the foreseeable future,” said speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

Community wellbeing and workplace giving are integral to an organization’s success. Providing your people with opportunities to get involved within their communities, and supporting the causes and issues that matter to them, increases employee engagement and helps create a strong company culture. The key to a successful community wellbeing program is to ensure your people feel invested in the organization’s giving efforts. The more personally connected to a cause they feel, the more likely they are to participate.

It’s no secret that disengaged workers can negatively impact your organization. Research, especially studies conducted by Gallup, continues to show us that disengaged employees are less productive, are absent from work more often, and more likely to have workplace accidents than their engaged colleagues.

A key component of managing the employee experience is gathering employee feedback. To improve employee engagement, you must understand your starting point. Do your employees feel valued? What do they appreciate most? What areas can be improved?

You completed a new workplace wellbeing initiative…now what?

As the initiative comes to an end, don’t just forget about it and move on. Use the experience as a guide to ensure that your next workplace wellbeing initiative is even more meaningful and effective.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Mike Cahill, President & CEO of Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana. We hope you enjoy Mike’s wisdom and perspective.

I was in a meeting the other day about a service my company had considered offering for a number of years. After about 10 minutes, I gave the go-ahead. One of our senior leaders mentioned they have been talking about this for a few years and had not made a decision, so why the need to move now on a decision?

My response, and one many of us should think about, is that putting off a decision is still making a decision. We must get some psychic boost from ‘putting off’ a decision versus deciding to not do anything. In the end, the results look the same. So why bring any of this up?

This country has had the same argument over health care for a long time.

Seeking resources on workplace wellbeing but not sure where to find them? Look no further, I have several suggestions here for you! 

As I discussed during the Workplace Wellbeing: Stop Telling Me What To Do webinar, how the brain functions, the different types of motivation, and the research behind incentives are all critical in understanding how to achieve real engagement in your workplace wellbeing programs. There is an immense amount of research articles, studies, and books on these topics, but below are a few mentioned in the webinar that I'd encourage you to check out. 

Gibson’s Wes Mantooth, Principal and Consultant in the Employee Benefits Practice, shares his insight on what 2017 may bring for the world of health care.

The elephant in the room, no pun intended, remains the impact of the new presidential administration. Anything said to be more than speculation is just that…more speculation. As of the time this outlook went to press, there was nothing concrete about the adjustments, if any, that will be made to health care reform. However, one thing does remain constant…whether the ACA stays or whether it goes, it will continue to cause disruption among consumers, employers, and the health care industry.

How do you create a new wellness initiative for your organization? What should you be considering before launching the effort? What strategies should you be using to make it most effective and engaging to your workforce?

There is no doubt that the wellbeing of your employees impacts the wellbeing of your organization. According to research by Gallup, employees whose wellbeing is thriving are less likely to look for a new employer or be involved in a workplace accident, and they have fewer sick days. But implementing an effective wellbeing strategy isn’t easy. The effectiveness of any wellness program or initiative depends on the culture of an organization and then extends to the workplace climate.