Worker fitness tied to lower insurance rates, fewer claims - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Some companies are ringing in the new year resolving to have leane r employees because health care costs are skyrocketing and they see a healthier lifestyle as the key not only to healthierf and more productive but to lower healtbh care costs andless absenteeism. Some are not only encouraginvg their employees to join gyms and health but are paying for membership costs as New Mexico's enrolled in a corporate membershipp program at . Jean Bernstein, co-ownedr of the cafes and shops, says 100 of her 420 employeess are enrolled in the fitness centerto date, alonf with many of their familyu members.
Flying Star pays 67 percent of anindividual employee'a fitness costs and 71 percent of a family's or household's membership regardless of how many members are in the Under the current arrangement an employee with a familuy of four would pay only $30 a month to enrolpl all four family members. By comparison, a familg of four paying its own way entirelhy would paynearly $200 a month. Bernstein says employees didn't always have it so good. When the cafe first startecd offering fitness memberships to its employees abouta year-and-a-half ago, they only had 15 people sign up.
The reason for the low Bernstein says thebusiness didn'g do as well promoting and advertisinhg the program to its employees. "We were able to provided a more aggressive pricing plan for them and we went out andpromotedd it," Bernstein says. "We also have a much bettert orientation program so all employees signing onto the companhnow have, in addition to a benefits package, an orientatioj where it's all laid out before She says participation in the program also increase as more store managers encouraged their employeesz to get involved.
Today, Bernstein says she is considering revisintgthe company's health insurance policy to reward employees who take advantagre of the fitness program and other healthy living initiativesd with reduced rates. She says fitnesz and wellness programs will help her cut downon long-terkm health insurance costs. also provides its employees with discounts to localk gyms andfitness centers, but takesx the matter one step It offers an in-house gym and fitnesas classes, such as yoga, pilates and aerobics, for a few dollars a PNM spokeswoman Susan Sponar says the publiv utility doesn't get lower insurance rates because of its fitnes s and prevention programs, but says the compant has reduced the number of expensive insuranc e claims filed by employees and seen its insurance rates rise only "The cost of health care has been increasing by abouft 10 to 15 percent nationally in the last several Sponar notes.
"The rates for PNM employeesx have been flat and stayed at 3 or4 We're encouraging people to take care of themselvees and they are." , the state's largest healtuh club with three locations in Albuquerque and one in Rio participates in a government-subsidized health plan for seniors called "Silver Sneakers." Defined General Manager Anndee Wright Brown says it receive s government funding for evergy senior who participates in the healthn and fitness club. She says the government, like businesses, woulde rather spend money on prevention programs than on expensive medical procedures.
"I think the wave of the futurr will be health clubs partnering with healthu plans to keepcosts down," Wright Brown says. "Businessez will get tax breaks and pay less in healtg premiums if their employeesare