Kevin Eberly's Blog | Confronting America's Obesity Epidemic

Wellness Programs Not Covered Under Minimum Health Care Requirements

Posted by Kevin Eberly on Fri, May 17, 2013 @ 01:48 PM

workplace wellnessEmployers working to better the health of their company faced a recent setback. On April 30 the IRS ruled that most wellness programs cannot be included in minimum healthcare coverage, meaning requiring employees to participate in company-sponsored health programs won’t be as simple as previously thought.

Under the Affordable Care Act, employers are required to offer a minimum benefits coverage for full-time employees, which includes a healthcare package, or pay a steep fine if they choose to forgo providing coverage. The only wellness program that will qualify for the minimum benefits package is smoking cessation programs.

The IRS cited the potential for many wellness programs to be discriminatory, putting sick workers at a disadvantage for lower premiums, as the reason for excluding wellness programs from the minimum benefits package.

It’s an unfortunate ruling considering more than two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, which, like smoking, is a condition that needs to managed over time and is costing employers thousands of dollars per year.

Managing obesity requires a strong support system, and organized wellness programs provide that. It takes time, dedication, and motivation, which, especially when in the form of cash, can be very effective.

Although I am disappointed with the ruling, it does not mean wellness has no place in the office.

It’s worth the investment to provide wellness programs to your employees—financially and for the success of your company—even if it means just taking a few minutes out of the day to walk around the office and assess the overall health of your workers.

Interact with your employees. Listen to their concerns. Maybe an at-risk individual is scared to make a change in his or her habits. It’s understandable; change isn’t easy. However, listening to your employees can help you determine a wellness program that will attract the most participation. For example, if the majority of your employees say they don’t have the time for wellness, you can consider making a wellness program convenient, potentially making it a part of the workday to encourage higher participation.

Make it a fun part of your company’s culture. Studies show financial incentives encourage healthy behaviors. Consider a little friendly corporate wellness competition. Have employees agree to sign up for a wellness program and offer small rewards at the end of each week for a certain period of time. It can even be as small as $10 gift cards, but the camaraderie and support from the workplace will motivate a larger number of people to participate. The employee that loses the highest percentage of body fat, for example, will receive a larger financial reward.

Educate your employees. An AP-NORC Center survey of 1,011 adults nationwide found about half of people think their weight is healthy despite statistics that show two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Consider hosting health seminars as part of on-the-job training and have a wellness program accessible to begin immediately following a lecture. If employees don’t realize they need to make a change, they won’t. You have to bring the issue to the forefront of your employees’ minds.

Tags: workplace wellness, healthcare, healthy workplace, obesity, spending, wellness programs, wellness, incentives

The Physician Role in Lowering Healthcare Costs

Posted by Kevin Eberly on Fri, May 03, 2013 @ 05:08 PM

physician roleA patient’s experience starts the moment he or she steps foot in the office. It starts with the greeting from the assistant at the front desk, followed by the amount of paperwork to fill out, followed by the interaction with the nurse, and then, finally, the doctor.

It’s often a long process, not exactly a patient’s idea of fun, and a physician’s communication skills play an important role in whether a patient is willing to be receptive of the information provided. Today, the physician’s role goes beyond writing a prescription and sending a patient on the way.

America’s obesity crisis is affecting workers’ productivity and overall health of the nation, and physicians have a say in prevention, which starts a ripple effect. Prevention means fewer people are obese, fewer people driving up healthcare costs, fewer employees taking sick days. So, you can see why communication skills play a critical role.

You may not be able to teach empathy, but specific care models can set patients up for success. The Center for Medical Weight Loss, for example, focuses on a team atmosphere, one where the physician provides support and gets to know the patient on a deeper level, where the doctor really understands the underlying causes of unhealthy habits. It’s a personalized experience where each treatment plan is different. The model allows doctors to form a unique bond with each patient who steps through the door.

The more welcoming the office, the more likely a patient will be open to suggested treatment. Our healthcare system puts physicians in a powerful position. It puts physicians in the primary prevention role, and like all diseases, the sooner the problem is detected, the easier it is to treat.

By taking advantage of this role, we can significantly lower healthcare costs in this country. One overweight employee can add $1,500 in health costs per year, and with two-thirds of Americans overweight, the costs add up quickly.  Part of the solution to these startling costs is the evolution of the physician role to a more patient-centered approach, one where weight loss becomes a team effort. 

Tags: health risk factors, obesity, weight loss, wellness, physician role

Doctors Insecure About Treating Obesity

Posted by Kevin Eberly on Fri, Feb 22, 2013 @ 01:59 PM

Your primary care physician is the first person you turn to if you have a health-related concern. You put trust in your physician to guide you in the direction to better health and trust he or she has confidence to do so.

One chronic condition many primary care physicians are not confident in treating: obesity.

A recent survey, published in BMJ Open, found only 44 percent of primary care physicians reported success in helping obese patients lose weight. This low percentage may come as a shock to you, but it doesn’t surprise CMWL’s chief medical officer Dr. Michael Kaplan. He tells me it’s training you just don’t get in medical school, and you learn more about malaria than obesity. Ironically, he’s never had to treat malaria, but he has seen countless obesity cases.

Why is this a problem? Think of primary care physicians as defensive linemen—the first line of defense. They’re the first people to see the play unfold and determine the actions necessary to stop the offense from advancing and reduce the number of yards gained. Primary care physicians are usually the first people exposed to a patient at risk for obesity, and the sooner it is acknowledged, the sooner steps are taken to treat it, resulting in fewer long-term health issues.

When it comes to treating obesity, many doctors feel underequipped, unprepared, uncomfortable, or a combination of three. However, I was surprised to find, as the survey indicated, that the majority of physicians believe obesity screening should be a routine part of a visit, and BMI should be included as a fifth vital sign.

This attitude, which 93 percent of primary care physicians surveyed supported, is promising. Doctors are starting to hear the noise that says they should be on the forefront of treating obesity. It’s a chronic condition that needs to be treated over time, and physicians are most qualified to do so.

Physicians recognize obesity as a problem and support regular screenings, but how do we boost their confidence? They need a toolbox.

CMWL equips physicians to be on the front line of preventative obesity medicine. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe it works. It’s not just my speculation, but science backs it up. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found people enrolled in a 12-week, physician-led weight loss program lost an average of 28 pounds. It proves the positive effect physicians can have on a patient battling with weight issues.

Imagine how much smaller our healthcare costs would be if 100 percent of doctors felt confident in treating obesity; if 100 percent of doctors had the proper treatment platform and tools to help patients lose weight and manage weight loss over time. The dollars obesity is costing America warrants its own post. But what do you think? Should primary care physicians be more active in treating obesity?

Tags: healthcare, prevention, obesity, cost, weight loss, obesity screening

Report: Half of US Will Be Obese by 2030

Posted by Kevin Eberly on Mon, Oct 22, 2012 @ 10:27 AM

A recent report projected 44 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030.

F for Fat: Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012

Think it couldn't possibly be that bad? Look at data from 1991; in almost every state less than 10 percent were obese. Now look at the data from 2011; in all 50 states more than 20 percent are obese. 

Here's how the predicted rates of obesity threaten our future:

  • there will be 7.9 million new cases of diabetes, compared to 1.9 million new cases in recent years. 
  • There could be 6.8 million new cases of chronic heart disease and stroke every year, compared with 1.3 million new cases per year now. 
  • Today, obesity-related medical costs are $147 billion to $210 billion (out of total healthcare spending of $2.7 trillion). In the future, add $66 billion more in annual obesity costs. obeisty rates resized 600 

The projected rates support a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that by 2030, 42 percent of U.S. adults could be obese, adding $550 billion to healthcare costs over that period.

This is a real problem, what can we do today to start fighting it? 

Tags: healthcare, obesity, cost, spending

Obesity: Let's Start The Conversation

Posted by Kevin Eberly on Sun, Oct 16, 2011 @ 05:44 PM

I’m the kind of manager who likes to solve problems. And not just any problems, but those that have significant impact on people’s lives and wellbeing.  It may be why I’ve spent half of my professional life addressing one of the biggest problems facing the country for the last quarter century: obesity.

Why obesity? Obesity has proven to be a problem that is the root cause of so many other problems that are putting the health of the United States (literally) in jeopardy. Here are some facts that we’ve probably all read at one point or another, but they bear repeating because we have reached a point where none of us can afford (literally) to ignore them:

PROBLEM: Healthcare costs make up close to 20 percent of the national GDP, and 75 percent of healthcare costs are related to the diagnosis and treatment of preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. The underlying cause of these diseases: obesity.

PROBLEM: Companies in the U.S. have faced staggering increases in healthcare costs, experiencing on average 12 percent in insurance premium rate hikes per year. The cost increases create severe challenges for companies to stay competitive in the global economy. What is cited as the reason for an estimated annual $73 billion in medical and lost productivity costs? Obesity.

PROBLEM: More than one-third of Americans can’t go a day without taking a medication to control a chronic condition, can’t walk without pain, can’t sleep without risking apnea, and can’t perform some of the most basic activities that enrich life’s experiences. What’s the cause? Obesity. And that number amounts to more than two-thirds of the population if we include people who are categorized as overweight.

brfss self reported obesity 2011 resized 600

In light of these statistics, which seem to keep going in the wrong direction, there must be a clear-cut solution, right? If only! But, being a problem solver at heart, I rely on hard data and facts to point me in the right direction. The statistics tell me that physicians hold the key to reversing these alarming trends. It’s the reason I am confident the physician-directed, non-surgical weight loss approach based on evidence will be the proven method for effectively managing long-term health and preventing obesity in those who currently are not affected.

The Center for Medical Weight Loss has been ahead of its time, with its participating physicians having successfully treated thousands of patients for the better part of the last decade. But it’s only recently that third parties have started to subscribe to its approach. These include:

  • In January 2012 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced coverage for physician-directed behavioral counselling for obese patients (those with a BMI of 30 or higher). Private insurers quickly followed suit.
  • In May 2012 the US Preventive Service Task Force endorsed physician behavioral counselling for obesity.
  • In June 2012, The American Journal of Medicine published a major study of Center for Medical Weight Loss physician-directed results, reporting clinical outcomes of an average 26 pounds lost, or 11.1 percent of total body weight lost, in 12 weeks among obese and overweight patients. 

And this is just the beginning. While we don’t purport to have all of the answers, we are confident we are onto something. But there are still much work to do and many complex issues to explore. That is why I invite you to join in the conversation and lend your voice to what you believe are sustainable solutions to effectively addressing the clinical condition of obesity. Starting today, I’ll be posting new research and commentary. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

 

Tags: healthcare, obesity, cost, spending