Health Risk Assessments: Only a Piece of the Puzzle

You may have been asked to take a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) or Personal health Assessment (PHA) or you may be the one putting forth the policy at your organization—either way, by now most employees and employers are familiar with Health Risk Assessments. According to the National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, conducted by Mercer in November 2011, more than 70% of large employers and 34% of smaller employers offer Health Risk Assessments to their employees.

A recent article in Employee Benefit News, Companies find health risk assessments a waste of time, money is based on a survey of 25 large employers (3,000 to 300,000 employees) and only tells part of the story. The HRA can be very effective if used as part of a comprehensive wellness plan.

It’s important to note that an HRA is a tool that evaluates employee health risks. It cannot replace screenings for conditions such as cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes; and it cannot provide a health diagnosis. It is designed to identify risk factors and should be used in conjunction with health screenings and other initiatives.

The HRA is not a one-time tool—it needs to be administered periodically so that employees can monitor and track their progress. Used in isolation, an HRA is not enough for employers to realize a reduction in health care costs. Used in combination with other measures, the HRA is a key component in developing a comprehensive wellness program and offers significant benefits for both individuals and their employers.  

Individual Benefits Derived from an HRA

•  Identifies health risk factors
• Raises awareness of risks and the consequences of not making positive health changes
• May prompt employees to seek additional screenings (cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.
• Allows employees to monitor their health risks over time
•  May prompt employees to adopt healthy behaviors thereby reducing health risks

Organizational Benefits Derived from an HRA

• Identifies employee health risk factors, including preventable health risks
• Measures absenteeism and presenteeism
• Can predict health care costs
• Provides insight into employees’ willingness to change 
•  Identifies health needs/risks that can be used to design a wellness program
• Monitors employees’ health and changes in health risk status
• Measures the success of wellness programs by comparing data from year to year  
• Identifies moderate or high risk individuals for referrals to specific programs or carrier intervention such as  a disease management program
• Controls health care costs
  

To be effective the HRA data must be reviewed, evaluated and acted upon. Determine which health risks are most prevalent in your company and design the components of your wellness program accordingly. Integrated into a wellness initiative, the HRA is the cornerstone of a successful, behavior change programs.