rising health care costs
US health care spending exceeds $2 trillion and is rising at a rate three times inflation. Health care spending in the US is currently 16% of the GDP and is expected to reach 20% by 2015.
Health insurance premiums have risen in excess of 9% annually for the past five years. The increased expense is impacting both employers and employees alike:
- Since 2000, employee health insurance costs have increased 73% for US businesses.
- For most business, health insurance is the fastest growing cost component.
- Since 2000, health insurance costs have increased 143% for employees
- More business are passing health insurance costs on to their employees.
cost of an unhealthy workforce
The number of overweight individuals in the US has increased by 60% since 1993, costing employers billions of dollars in additional health care premiums. This has resulted in the CDC issuing an "obesity epidemic"
View select links with additional information:3 of 4 workers report their jobs as stressful - more than half say their job is VERY stressful. 60% of lost work days are attributed to stress.