Preventive care and early disease detection can decrease health care costs for your business, yet research shows that Americans use preventive care services at about half the suggested rate. So, how do you encourage your employees to take advantage of fully covered screenings and preventive care benefits?
First, understand the three types of preventive care:
- Primary prevention: These are actions aimed at preventing your employees from getting a disease or developing a chronic condition.
- Secondary prevention: This deals with early detection that improves the chance for positive health outcomes.
- Tertiary prevention: This is trying to improve quality of life and reduce symptoms of disease, cancer or chronic conditions already in place.
Next, encourage prevention:
Within your organization you have the ability to remind your employees about preventive care services they can receive through their health care plans. Here are some steps you can take:
- Offer well-being programs that promote or even give an incentive for completing preventive care.
- Clearly communicate preventive care benefits to employees.
- Encourage employees to review their medical records.
- Offer flex time for employees to use for annual exams or preventive care.
- Gather and post stories of employees who have benefited from preventive care by finding heart blockages, high cholesterol, or other issues.
Make it personal for your employees
Talking to employees in a way that illustrates why it’s important for them to receive preventive care is key to shifting behavior. Instead of focusing on health care costs, point to Healthy People findings that show:
- Routine cardiovascular exams save tens of thousands of adult lives annually.
- Vaccines save the lives of roughly 42,000 children every year.
- Preventive health screenings have been found to significantly increase life expectancy.
When your employees understand why preventive care is beneficial for them, they’ll be more likely to access it. Want more information about how encouraging preventive care in your organization is good for business? Check out this Blue Cross® Virtual Well-Being webinar for more tips. You can also sign up for future employer-focused and general interest webinars here, where you’ll also be able to access past sessions and resources. Related:
- Supporting Parents at Work
- Starting a Culture of Well-Being at Work
- Encouraging Social Connections at Work
Photo credit: Supitnan Pimpisarn
