Smart companies: ten intelligent health measures they should employ.

• Author: Krajnovich, Daniel
• Position: Indiana SMALL * BUSINESS REFERENCE * GUIDE

Even smart companies have one worry that seems unsolvable: the rising cost of health-care spending per employee. With $1.4 trillion in health care consumed annually, affordability is more difficult, yet more imperative, to deliver.

A strong focus on preventive care may not solve the healthcare crisis, but it is one important way employers and employees can work together to make health care more affordable. Preventive care leads to lower health-care costs and healthy employees who are more productive, exhibit less absenteeism, live healthier and longer, and add more vitality to their work.

Though lifestyle choices are ultimately determined by individuals, companies can take important measures to support and encourage preventive health behavior among their employees.

Here are 10 smart ways employers can focus on creating a health-conscious mindset in the work environment to better control health-care spending:

1. Educate employees about healthcare costs and trends. Most people are unaware of the total cost of health care. It is estimated that American health care consumers only pay between 5 and 30 percent of their actual health costs.

2. Frequent communication of health-care facts to employees creates sustainable awareness and momentum for change.

3. Invite local health-care experts to talk to your employees about back injuries, obesity, diet, diabetes or sleep disorders. Host health fairs for employees and invite medical experts to offer information and preventive screenings--nurses, nutritionists, wellness coaches, massage therapists and other community specialists.

4. Adopt a health plan with strong financial incentives, such as consumer-directed health savings accounts (HSAs) or health reimbursement accounts (HRAs). Both plans must be coupled with a high-deductible health plan and offer different advantages to employers and employees. Accounts such as these are proven tools to engage your employees in their health-care consumption.

5. Offer a smoking cessation program. And of course, if it isn't already, make your office a no-smoking environment.

6. Fully engage employees in total health-care cost management by asking them to make thoughtful decisions about their health and health-care expenses. Thinking about health care as a purchase will require a mental shift. Most people spend weeks researching the purchase of a car or television, but then seek health care with little insight or...