Employers Involvement in Community Health

I recently came across an article, Employers Unlocking Health Care Expertise (Business Insurance, July 7, 2008) which explores how business are “helping themselves by helping others”. Employers, the author argues, are engaging local providers, coordinating on site health fairs and investing in health information technology and health improvement programs -- all with the hope of improving the health of current and future employees.

At the core of many of these efforts is a movement to increase “consumerism” in health care. Employers hope that providing community members with access to health information and performance data will empower individuals to make cost-effective healthcare decisions. Using tactics such as doctor and hospital report cards employers hope to improve transparency in the health care and keep overall costs low.

Are there any business-based community efforts like these in your area? Are these businesses working alone or as part of a coalition? Do the employers actively support the health related efforts or do they just provide financial support? Share your thoughts!

For more information on employer based efforts, visit the National Business Coaltion on Health.