Magnitude of the Problem
Although employers have historically focused on group medical as the area in which unhealthy lifestyles impact the bottom line, medical is only the tip of the iceberg.
Figure #3 summarizes the findings from a study of data on 374,799 employees over a 3-year period. For certain conditions, the annual per employee medical cost is a fraction of the costs associated with absenteeism and presenteeism (reduction in on-the-job productivity). The total cost is much higher than most employers are aware.