Paper
Workplace wellness programs can generate savings.
Published Feb 1, 2010 · Katherine Baicker, D. Cutler, Zirui Song
Health affairs
Q1 SJR score
1,017
Citations
65
Influential Citations
Abstract
Amid soaring health spending, there is growing interest in workplace disease prevention and wellness programs to improve health and lower costs. In a critical meta-analysis of the literature on costs and savings associated with such programs, we found that medical costs fall by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs and that absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent. Although further exploration of the mechanisms at work and broader applicability of the findings is needed, this return on investment suggests that the wider adoption of such programs could prove beneficial for budgets and productivity as well as health outcomes.
Meta-Analysis
Highly CitedStudy Snapshot
Workplace wellness programs can reduce medical costs by $3.27 and absenteeism costs by $2.73 for every dollar spent, offering a significant return on investment for budgets and productivity.
PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)
Sample size24
MethodsObservational
OutcomesBody Mass Index projections
ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.
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