From time to time, we like to share success stories from our clients after they participate in Health Risk Assessments. As many of you know, Health Risk Assessments are the foundation to wellness programs. They provide important aggregate information from which we are able to benchmark our wellness efforts and determine improvements in health.

This success story takes place at Allis Tool, West Allis, Wisconsin, which is a new client of Burkwald & Associates, Inc. since early 2008. Bill York, Allis Tool’s President, communicated to his employees that they were going to be implementing a non-tobacco policy, and Burkwald & Associates, Inc. would be facilitating the initiative along with other wellness initiatives. We met with the Benefit Task Force committee to explain the process for the Health Risk Assessments. To ensure that employees would participate in the process, Allis Tool decided employees must complete a Health Risk Assessment in order to be on their company health insurance.

After Aurora Health Care, Health Risk Assessment provider, came in to talk about the process with all of Allis Tool’s employees, Mary Bova, Purchasing Manager, signed up for her Health Risk Assessment. The morning of August 12 arrived, and Mary went to participate in her screening and hand in her questionnaire. It had been over a year since Mary had visited the doctor. After the nurse did Mary’s fingerstick, a small amount of her blood was collected and processed onsite. Mary’s blood sugar (glucose) came back as being in the borderline range for diabetes and the nurse suggested that she call her doctor to set up an appointment.

That afternoon Mary called her doctor. After being tested again, she was placed on medication to help regulate her blood sugar. The doctor provided Mary with general education on what she could do to regulate her blood sugar through diet and exercise. Mary also decided to meet with a dietician. She is now watching what she eats and walking twice a day with her dog. Mary also has an extremely supportive family who is helping her along the way.

According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2007 the national cost of diabetes in the U.S. exceeded $174 billion. This estimate includes $116 billion in excess medical expenditures attributed to diabetes, as well as $58 billion in reduced national productivity. People with diagnosed diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures that are approximately 2.3 times higher than the expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes. Approximately $1 in $10 health care dollars is attributed to diabetes. Indirect costs include increased factors such as absenteeism, reduced productivity, and lost productive capacity due to early mortality.

Health risk assessments not only help plan wellness initiatives for employers, but for employees they can reveal current health status and any potential conditions. This in turn can lead to fewer high-cost medical claims in the future.

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