March 2014

The best employee absences are the ones that never happen

A 2012 study showed half (48%) of a company’s employees experience business or personal legal-related issues each year, spending an average of 51 hours to resolve them.

Compared to the average, these employees:

  • Are absent five times more
  • Use medical benefits four times more
  • Use sick leave twice as often

A range of employee assistance services (EAP) to complement core benefits programs and meet any employer’s needs and budget is available, i.e. Long Term Disability contract also comes with optional ID Theft Recovery Services, for additional peace of mind.

Contact me to learn more.

Medical Tourism

The Medical Tourism Association is helping employers and hospitals connect with companies to save millions in medical expenses. It’s popularity will grow as healthcare reform (Obamacare) is expected to create backlogs for medical services.

Medical tourism (MT) is the patient travelling from highly developed nations to other areas of the world for medical care, usually to find treatment at a lower cost. Medical tourism is different from the traditional model of international medical travel where patients usually seek care travelling from less developed nations to major medical centers in highly developed countries for treatment that may not be available in their own communities.

Services typically sought include elective procedures as well as complex specialized surgeries such as joint replacement (knee/hip), cardiac surgery, dental surgery, and cosmetic surgeries. Individuals with rare genetic disorders may travel to another country where treatment of these conditions is better understood. However, virtually every type of health care, including psychiatry, alternative treatments, convalescent care and even burial services are available.

Over 50 countries have identified medical tourism as a national industry.

The Eyes, a Window to Health – Part 2

Employers and employees aren’t seeing the health and productivity boosts that would be possible if more employees took advantage of their vision benefit, especially in an aging workforce. According to Transitions Optical, Inc., nearly half of employees aren’t taking advantage of their vision benefit, by either not enrolling (24%) or by not using their benefit to receive an eye exam (32%). Transitions Optical offers four reasons why employers should take eye education seriously.

1. If you can’t see well, you can’t work well. – 1 in 4 employees, age 45 or older, has to take breaks to rest their eyes at work, because they hurt or feel tired. Unfortunately, even slightly miscorrected vision — so slight an employee may not even notice — can reduce productivity by up to 20%.

2. Mental health and eye vision are connected – Vision problems can worsen mental decline and depression – issues that are already a heavy burden on today’s workforce. Older employees with poor vision are 5 times more likely to develop cognitive decline without dementia than their peers with very good or excellent vision. Untreated poor vision in the elderly is also linked to actual dementia. For instance, older adults with poor vision without intervention (such as eyecare visits and cataract surgery) are almost 10 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

3. Eighty percent are bothered by glare – Almost all Americans say glare affects their vision outdoors, and 7 out of 10 agree that their eyes are sensitive to light. The right eyewear can help employees counter their issues with light and glare sensitivity.

4. Employees think vision benefits are important – More than 90 percent of employees agree their vision benefit will be more important to them as they age. Nearly all employees say it’s very important to them that their vision benefit offers the latest lens technologies.

Employees have an overall low awareness of the eye/overall health connection. For instance, half don’t know that smoking can affect their eyes. Many diseases can be detected by an eye exam at an early stage, when preventive steps can still be taken to avoid the disease or minimize its impact.

www.EyeSiteOnWellness.com, sponsored by EyeMed, is a complimentary resource employees can access anytime, anywhere. Featuring useful tools, including customizable Wellness Calendar and Wellness Library, the site makes it easy to keep informed and aware of the importance of regular vision care.

The Eyes, a Window to Health – Part 1

The eyes are the only place in your whole body that offer a clear view of the blood vessels, without invasive techniques. That’s why with every exam, an eye doctor can gain deeper insight into a patient’s overall health and wellness.

Vision disorders account for more than $8 billion in lost productivity every year. However, regular eye exams can address and correct vision issues that may hamper performance. They can also help identify early signs of certain chronic health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, before they become costly long-term medical issues. 

www.EyeSiteOnWellness.com, sponsored by EyeMed, is a complimentary resource employees can access anytime, anywhere. Featuring useful tools, including customizable Wellness Calendar and Wellness Library, the site makes it easy to keep informed and aware of the importance of regular vision care.

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