Employer Strategies

Patients who don't take their medication as prescribed is a billion-dollar problem, reports pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts in its 2011 Drug Trend Report. Nonadherence to prescription medication cost the U.S. health care system $317.4 billion in 2011. And that's just for treating medical complications - not the cost of lost productivity - that could have been avoided if patients had taken their medication as prescribed. The report shows that for many therapy classes, less than 50% of patients take their medication as prescribed.

Executive leadership must relate to employees and communicate clearly how each person contributes to company success

Think about the simple act of driving to work in the morning. It involves perhaps 500 separate decisions, yet when we arrive we are hardly aware that we made a single one.

Leading U.S. organizations are turning to prevention-based employee health benefits to improve workforce health and reduce health care costs. Yet, according to a survey released by Virgin HealthMiles, there's a critical awareness gap threatening that strategy's success.

Employers have experienced dramatic increases in engagement by tapping into employees' innate competitive and social drives. By using social challenges to entice employee interest in wellness initiatives, employers not only build participation, they are more likely to inspire long-term behavior changes.

Ellen M. is a 47-year-old single mom whose 4-year-old son is diagnosed with pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified, a disorder on the autism spectrum.

When asked about their experience with selling workplace voluntary benefits, most brokers often give one of two replies:

Employees know very little about disability coverage. But when they learn about it, they often want it and are willing to pay for it. A Consumer Federation of America and Unum national survey finds that only 13% of surveyed workers know "a lot" about disability insurance, and less than half (47%) know what its benefits are, according to the survey of 1,200 employees. Yet, when informed about DI, a majority (90%) want the coverage, and 86% are willing to pay half of a $30 average monthly premium, and 56% are willing to pay the entire premium in order to gain income protection should they become disabled. According to a 2012 Social Security Fact Sheet, almost 1-in-4 of today's 20 year olds will become disabled before age 67.

If you are looking for an idea that can capture the attention of employers, consider helping them provide employees the means to bridge the gaps in their medical plan. I have identified five distinct gaps that, if addressed, can create a huge sales opportunity for group health agents.

How are breakthrough innovations created? What is the process and can it be replicated or facilitated? These are the fundamental questions tackled by Frans Johansson in his seminal book, "The Medici Effect."