Employee Exercise Programs Reduce Employer Health Care Costs
Participation in a program of regular exercise can lead to a dramatic reduction in medical insurance claims by employees, according to a study conducted by health insurer Medica and fitness center operator Life Time Fitness.
The study followed the progress over two years of 3,249 participants in an exercise program sponsored by Medica. Program participants who exercised at least eight days per month received a $20 monthly credit from Medica toward their fitness center membership dues, as well as access to personal fitness screening and assistance in developing a personalized exercise and nutrition program. The study compared the total health care expenditures of the exercise program participants with those of a control group of equivalent size, demographics, health status, and health care consumption habits.
Researchers found that, during the second year of participation, the average overall monthly claim cost of plan members who met the minimum requirements of the exercise program was 33.6% lower than that of the control group. Relative to non-exercisers, program participants realized on average a 64.3% reduction in facility claims, a 13% decrease in physician claims, and a 9.2% decrease in prescription drug costs. Compared with exercise program participants, non-participants recorded an average of 63.6% more visits to inpatient facilities, 105% more visits to emergency room facilities, and 43.3% more visits to outpatient facilities.
When Medica joined forces with Life Time Fitness in 2003, the insurer was making an investment in the health of plan members and expected to see dividends in the form of controlled health care costs, according to Charles Fazio, M.D., chief medical officer at Medica.
“Via the study,” Fazio said, “we found that offering a financial incentive is effective in motivating people to exercise. We also validated that health care cost reductions occur when participants exercise at least eight days per month and participants experienced improvement in their health status based upon self-reported survey results.”
