Employers
Sneezing and headaches are starting to mean something to many
employers.
Sensing they are hitting a ceiling in terms of passing along
health costs to employees, some companies -- often working with drug makers --
have started tackling ailments that don't necessarily lead to big medical bills
or many missed days of work but often keep employees from getting much done
when they are on the job.
Companies are analyzing the bottom-line effect of conditions such
as seasonal allergies, migraines and stomach troubles, particularly when
employees show up for work but operate at far less than 100%. That lack of
productivity has been dubbed by health professionals as
"presenteeism."
Corporate efforts to improve employee health aren't new. Some of
the more-established programs target severe health problems, such as heart
disease and diabetes, on an individual basis via the insurer. Other efforts
concern general wellness, stress and weight control. It is a newer tack,
however, to address the lower tier of pesky chronic conditions.
Comerica Inc., Dow Chemical Co., Bank One Corp., a unit of J.P.
Morgan Chase & Co., and International Truck & Engine Corp. are among
companies that have put programs in place to help employees avoid or treat some
of these seemingly smaller health conditions, or at least keep productive in
spite of them.
"We have cut as much as we can cut in terms of cost-sharing
and getting people to pay higher co-payments," says David Groves, vice
president of corporate health management at Comerica Bank. "The one
opportunity that's left is cost-avoidance."
Results will be hard to measure. It is easier to put dollar
amounts on medical claims and sick days than it is to figure out the cost if a
worker on the job isn't accomplishing much. It is also tough to decipher if
programs to help, say, headaches have really improved employees' productivity.
To evaluate presenteeism, companies are using employee
questionnaires developed by researchers at universities including Harvard,
Tufts and Stanford. The researchers have formulas to quantify the reduced
productivity that comes when an employee has, for example, irritable bowel
syndrome or back pain.
"These are, admittedly, rough-and-ready kinds of things, but
in a world of having no information at all, it's a heck of a lot better than
having nothing," says Ron Kessler, a professor at
Dow Chemical in late 2002 surveyed its employees through a third
party about several chronic ailments, including allergies, arthritis, back and
neck problems, depression, migraines, gastrointestinal issues, diabetes and
heart problems. The surveys show many more employees with the problems than the
company would have been aware of by looking at insurance claims alone, says
Catherine Baase, the company's director of health services. This year, Dow is
implementing a broad effort to try to tackle the problems and encourage
employees to address them. Among several early steps, the company plans to
reveal the aggregate survey results to doctors and hospitals in communities
where many of its employees live, asking where there could be improvements in
employees' care, Dr. Baase says.
The trend is also leading employers to develop closer
relationships with drug makers. Novartis AG, maker of Zelnorm, a drug for
irritable bowel syndrome, provided funding for a Comerica study to determine
the prevalence of IBS among employees. Pfizer Inc., maker of painkillers
Celebrex and Bextra, meanwhile, is supporting a study that the bank is doing on
arthritis, according to Comerica. Merck & Co. provided funding for Dow
Chemical's work, Dr. Baase says.
At Bank One, one of the earlier companies to work on this issue, a
study of allergies at the company has led to educational programs that, among
other things, encouraged employees to take antihistamines that are nonsedating,
says Wayne Burton, a wellness and productivity executive for J.P. Morgan Chase.
Merck, Schering-Plough Corp. and Eli Lilly & Co. helped pay
for the research on allergy problems at Bank One, Dr. Burton says.
Schering-Plough, which markets non-sedating antihistamines Claritin and
Clarinex, helped fund Bank One's study to help businesses understand "the
far-reaching impact of allergies in all environments and activities,"
spokeswoman Julie Lux says.
Creating awareness of the health problems and their costs benefits
employers as well as drug makers that sell potential treatments, says Sean
Sullivan, chief executive of the Institute for Health and Productivity
Management, a nonprofit that is trying to address presenteeism and other health
issues for employers.
Comerica surveyed its employees and found that about 40% of
respondents said they suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, which can involve
abdominal discomfort, bloating or diarrhea. Extrapolating from that, it is
estimated that the problem cost the company at least $8 million a year in lost
productivity, Mr. Groves says. The surveys were conducted through a third party
to ensure employee privacy, Mr. Groves says.
Comerica now provides written materials for its employees about
IBS and has sponsored physician seminars to educate workers about how to
recognize and deal with it through their living habits, diet and possible
medications. The company has asked insurers to explore ways to encourage
employees to get medical care that could improve productivity. One option would
be to lower co-payments on drugs for a condition a company is concerned about,
Mr. Groves says.
Article from
CareerJournal.com – January 2005