The importance of your employees getting preventive care routinely

This article was last updated July 20, 2023.

What if we told you poor employee health impacts the success of your business?

It’s true.

When your employees aren’t healthy, your business can suffer. From absenteeism to lack of productivity while at work, it all adds up over time.

When the pandemic hit, preventive care, defined as age-appropriate screenings, vaccines, annual wellness examinations and more, took a backseat among employees due to concerns about health care provider office safety. However, even post-pandemic, employees aren't returning to regular preventive care usage — due, in large part, to costs concerns External Link.

Preventive care can save on costs

Whether it’s preventive care for men or women, the costs can add up if your employees skip preventive visits. Often, it's these preventive visits in which high-cost diseases can be caught early Opens in a new window, saving on costs down the road.

Preventive care is especially important for your employees who have pre-existing conditions in order to monitor, treat and manage the condition from getting worse. It’s also an essential part of your employees establishing a relationship with a primary health care provider (PCP) so they can build a trusted relationship. This helps your employees feel more comfortable sharing their health status with their PCP, who can help identify potential medical issues earlier.

Encourage your employees to call their doctor to arrange a preventive care visit, in person or virtually.

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Virtual visits make preventive care easier than ever

Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield members can access preventive care without even leaving their home through Doctor On Demand®. Encourage employees to seek routine exams and use the mental health services by sharing the Doctor On Demand flyer in shared work spaces, like the break room or restrooms.

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The importance of ongoing preventive care

During the pandemic, an estimated 41 percent External Site of U.S. adults delayed or avoided medical care because of COVID-19 concerns, which included both urgent or emergency care (12 percent), as well as routine care (32 percent).

With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, employers may be thinking about how to educate on the importance of preventive care and increase employee engagement. That's where a workplace well-being program comes in.

According to the CDC, a workplace well-being program has the potential to keep your employees in the “low-risk” category by promoting health maintenance. It can also lower overall health insurance costs by providing additional support to employees in higher-risk categories.

A review of 56 published sites of workplace well-being programs External Link showed that well-being programs can lead to 25 percent savings each on absenteeism, health care costs, workers’ compensation and disability management costs.

Contact our health and well-being experts by filling out our wellness survey External Site.

Resources to help your employees get preventive care

• Find a primary care provider through myWellmark^®:

  By logging in or registering for myWellmark^®, your employees can choose a PCP from in-network providers, get cost estimates before they receive non-preventive care and see their explanation of benefits.

• Virtual visits are easier with Doctor On Demand:

  If your employees are reluctant to receive in-person care, they can get preventive care like lifestyle counseling, labs, emotional health support, smoking cessation, age appropriate screening recommendations and more with a board-certified doctor from almost anywhere. Simply use a smartphone, tablet or computer to visit DoctorOnDemand.com External Site.

• Preventive care through the Wellness Center:

  If you are a fully-insured group, or group who has purchased the Wellness Center for your employees, after they receive preventive care, your employees can use the Wellmark Wellness Center powered by WebMD® to get the help and motivation they need to reach their goals and live a healthier life. They can access the Wellness Center through myWellmark and/or the WebMD Wellness At Your Side mobile app.

Questions? Contact your authorized Wellmark account representative, or email us at blueatwork@wellmark.com.

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