Telephonic Wellness Coaching’s “High Touch” Translates to Lower Costs to the Employer

An employer sponsored telephonic wellness coaching program has the potential to reach an entire employer population more than any other benefit program. Outreach can be a powerful tool in creating a culture of wellness. With information obtained from biometric screenings and health risk assessments, wellness coaches can contact participants to engage them in lifestyle coaching, disease management programs and also direct them to appropriate medical care. It can also serve as a means of steering patients to worksite clinics. 

“Wellness coaching focuses not only on helping high-risk individuals improve health, but it also helps moderate-risk individuals lower their risks and those who are healthy stay that way. Wellness coaching, with its proactive approach, helps people before they become a claim-rather than waiting until they require medical intervention. In contrast to programs that focus on managing a specific disease or condition, a whole-person model of wellness coaching addresses all of an individual’s risk factors. These risk factors may be identified at program onset or discovered at any time during the wellness coaching relationship” according to WebMD “s White Paper on the Value of Health Coaching in Population Management.

 Wellness Coaching tends to be a long term way of monitoring the health of a population. Goals are set and then tracked by the wellness coach, so outcomes can be reported back to the employer, usually on an annual basis. Yearly biometric screenings are used as the tool to measure outcomes.

Wellness coaching can be provided telephonically, onsite or via the internet. Telephonic coaching tends to be very convenient for most participants as soon as the relationship has been established and regular coaching appointments are scheduled. Working with a vendor that can be flexible with appointment times can also attribute to the success of the programs. Many employees do not have the flexibility or privacy to accept calls during business hours. Some prefer to be called while they are driving home from work, in the evening, or even on weekends.

Compliant and “engaged” employees can change behaviors and learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Employees that can manage their medical conditions and know when to seek medical treatment can potentially drive down medical claim costs for the employer. This can lower claims experience and translate into minimal or no premium rate increases in future years. If you don’t have a corporatewellness coaching program as part of your benefit package-maybe now is the time to do the research!