Rolla’s Wellness Program reduces absenteeism, lowers health costs

Rolla’s Wellness Program reduces absenteeism, lowers health costs

At a time when health care insurance costs are escalating nationwide, the City of Rolla’s formula for proactive health and wellness has paid big dividends to not only City employees, but the residents of Rolla as well.

Improving employee wellness, and saving dollars for taxpayers, however isn’t the only bright spot in this City’s approach to finding innovative ways to overcome escalating health care costs. The City’s wellness program, now in its third year, also is paying off in a reduction of absenteeism and lower health care costs, said City Finance Director Steffanie Rogers, who is a member of the City’s Health Insurance Committee. The City’s absenteeism for 2008, which was 12,339 hours, dropped significantly to 11,513 hours in 2009.

As a direct result of the new wellness program, Rolla city employees have not had a health insurance premium increase for three years, and health care costs actually went down in 2009. In 2008, the City spent $2.2 million on preventable disease treatment and that number dropped in 2009 to $1.9 million.

“The City’s health care costs have remained relatively stable in comparison to the national average, which experiences a 7 to 18 percent annual increase, said Rogers. “The City’s savings will more than pay for the newly implemented $50,000 employee wellness program recently approved by the Rolla City Council in May 2010. And better yet, the cost of the program will not be put on the backs of the residents of Rolla, but will be funded by a reserve account in the City’s self-insurance fund.”

While some City’s may be considering ways to increase employee premiums to address the rising cost of health care to their employees, the City of Rolla is offering monetary incentives ($5 per pay period) to employees to participate in annual health-risk assessments with additional incentives to improve their scores. There is also a new incentive offered for fitness center membership reimbursement (capped at $150), and weekly comp. time (up to 1 hr.) for documented physical activity.

Additional enhancements to the 2010 wellness program include a voluntary fitness assessment with a trained fitness instructor (timed running, push-ups, sit-ups and stretching), which will offer employees an opportunity to participate in the physical fitness weekly comp. time option. Other incentives include a monthly wellness newsletter, a stress management program with the local hospital (Phelps County Regional Medical Center) as a partner, which will include stress management workshops, and chair massages once a quarter at the luncheons, and an in-house Weight Watchers program. Since the City is self-insured, tracking participation, PT time earned, and the overall success of the program is easy.

The overall goals of the wellness program – reduction in absenteeism, a reduction in preventable disease health insurance claims, increased awareness of healthy lifestyle choices and support of employees making healthy lifestyle choices – are being met and are paying off, Rogers said.

To reinforce the City’s focus on health and fitness, the City’s Employee Advisory Council (EAC) is hosting the first annual Employee and Family SplashZone Night at the City’s outdoor water park where employees and family members are invited to spend the evening swimming, riding the water slides and enjoying a free bbq dinner provided by a local vendor in the community.

“Wellness is something the City is trying to emphasize as a way of life not only at the workplace, but also at home, and during leisure activities,” said City Administrator John Butz. “We would really like to establish the City’s wellness program as a model for other cities across Missouri and the nation who are seeking ways to reverse sky-rocketing health care premiums, absenteeism and overall employee wellness.”