2015 NRECA Health Survey Results Reveal Surprising Health Trends
NRECA’s wellness partner WebMD has released the 2015 health survey results. This year’s results include some surprising trends. Based on approximately 5,000 survey participants (60% male/40% female), NRECA Medical Plan participants have significant increased risks due to modifiable factors (see Figure 1) such as:
- High weight (73.7% are overweight)
- Poor exercise habits (28.4% get less than 90 minutes of exercise each week)
- Tobacco use (6.1% use cigarettes; note that this does not include other forms of tobacco)
- Stress (22.5% report high stress)
It is estimated that these risk factors account for at least $982 in higher medical costs per participant every year. So it’s important to resolve them early before they develop into chronic conditions.
Unfortunately, only 38.5% of respondents have had their annual physical in the past year – a benefit that is covered 100% at in-network providers under the NRECA Medical Plan and can help detect modifiable risk factors early.
The good news is that you have access to a wide variety of resources through the NRECA Medical Plan that can assist you and your participants in managing their risk factors!
The full health survey report provides detailed information on each question of the survey, as well as the seven recommendations made by WebMD to improve the overall health and wellbeing of plan participants.
If you have additional questions about the report or would like support with next steps for your wellness program, please don’t hesitate to contact the wellness team at 703.907.6237.
Figure 1. Summary of Preventable Risks
