What if you could improve employee health and save your company thousands of dollars in the process? When you empower employees to quit using tobacco, you can. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States.1 More than 480,000 Americans die of a smoking-related disease, and another 16 million […]
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David L. Katz, MD, has said, “What’s best for all of us tends to be best for each of us, too.” When it comes to global health, that statement certainly rings true. Around the world, the people who live the longest and with the best health tend to: Eat well Stay active Get proper sleep […]
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Although today’s news seems to be filled with misconceptions around immunizations, the fact is that vaccines — especially the flu vaccine — can make a big difference in our community’s health. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that the flu vaccine prevented more than seven million illnesses.1 The flu vaccine […]
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The health care industry talks a lot about workplace well-being from the employer or health plan perspective. But we wondered, what do employees think about well-being? And how might their perspectives translate to improved health offerings and outcomes? To learn more about this important topic, Optum recently partnered with the National Business Group on Health® […]
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Do you ever wonder if it makes sense to start exercising now, at this age? Perhaps you were never an athlete, or were once active but got stuck in the grind of everyday life, and getting to the gym just slipped to the bottom of your priorities. How on earth can you get back in […]
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How do Silicon Valley employers compare to other employers across the U.S. when it comes to addressing employee well-being? Optum recently analyzed its survey of national employers to gauge how Silicon Valley firms stack up. Below are some key insights from our analysis. Behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD): Addressing mental health stigma and SUD is critical for nearly all employers. Silicon Valley companies measured slightly behind others in their plans to […]
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Athleisure — yoga pants, hoodies and other fashionable activewear — is making big moves in the marketplace. This sporty attire is considered exercise-worthy yet stylish enough to transition to life outside the fitness center. And its popularity is showing no signs of slowing down. According to MarketWatch, the global market growth for athleisure is expected […]
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It’s not news that health care costs are rising. But did you know that a handful of costly, complex conditions are driving a quarter of the total health care spending in the United States?1 Four condition categories are responsible for driving roughly $455 billion dollars in costs: cancer, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal conditions and kidney disease. […]
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Not long ago, the prevailing wisdom was to buy an ergonomic chair when an employee was missing work because of chronic back pain. Or, if an employee suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome, employers could purchase an ergonomic keyboard to ease the pain. Those are both worthy and beneficial options, of course. But musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions […]
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There’s an app for that! This is a familiar saying these days. Sometimes it truly does seem that there’s an app for just about everything. And when it comes to health, fitness and well-being, your employees are faced with a dizzying array of choices. There are more than 2.1 million apps in both the Apple […]
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