Why their health is your business

Are the days of thinking about health insurance as a benefit of employment over?
For a long time, paid health insurance has been considered one of the ‘perks of the job’ offered to top-tier executives. Organisations have typically bundled it into their offering in order to position themselves as an employer of choice. But isn’t it time that we started to consider the provision of health cover as being as much as an employer benefit as it is an employee benefit?

Workplaces today are facing a dilemma, trying to achieve more with fewer resources whilst battling to hold on to high performers. We are facing the realisation that a number of lifestyle-related health issues, such as diabetes, obesity and depression are affecting us at near-epidemic levels. All of these illnesses impact an employees ability to contribute productively and consistently to their families, communities and workplaces.

So, the health and wellbeing of your team members not only affects them as individuals– it impacts your business too.

Countless studies around the world in recent years have made a case for the link between improved levels of health and wellbeing, and improved job performance. Healthier people are more likely to have lower levels of health-related absenteeism, less likely to suffer work-related stress or injury, and are better able to make a valuable contribution to your business and bottom line.

So how can organisations get involved in helping to keep their people healthy?
A corporate health plan enables you to provide your people with the tools to actively manage and improve their health, as well as the benefits that come with having private health cover, such as meeting the costs of healthcare services that aren’t covered by Medicare and being able to make decisions about when, where and by whom they are treated in hospital.

Health cover today is about so much more than just hospital and standard extras, like dental and optical. Health funds have become more sophisticated in product design and have created a broad range of health covers that provide people with rebates for health and wellbeing activities that help them to stay well, whether it’s through services such as massage and naturopathy or a host of other health options such as targeted weight loss and quit smoking programs. They can even help us take care of our mental health with counselling and psychology.

Coupled with this is the booming corporate health industry, which can literally bring wellbeing into your workplace with health assessments, programs, resources and mentoring – all designed to help keep your people fit, well, happy and productive.

There are 37 registered health funds in Australia, many of which offer corporate health plans in some form or another. Most are simply discounted versions of their general product range, so apart from passing on a saving, there’s no unique benefit in them.

There’s only one specialist corporate health fund operating in Australia today, with the experience and expertise to help organisations tailor a health plan that suits the needs of their particular organisation, rather than just offering an ‘off the shelf’ solution. GU Health has been taking care of the health cover needs of Australia’s leading companies for more than a decade. They understand the needs of corporate clients, and know how to help you achieve your goals with corporate health plans that benefit both your organisation and your employees.

Whether you’re looking to either fully or partially fund a health plan tailored to the needs of your employees, why not take a look at what the specialists have to offer – your business will be healthier for it.

Source: Australian Corporate Wellness magazine