Understanding Obesity

Understanding Obesity

Obesity - Addressing the Issue with Employee Wellness Programs

Obesity - Addressing the Issue with Employee Wellness Programs

Obesity - Getting with the Program

Obesity - Getting with the Program

Obesity - Impact on Health Spending

Obesity - Impact on Health Spending

Understanding Non-Adherence to Medication

Understanding Non-Adherence to Medication

Understanding the High Costs of Smoking

Understanding the High Costs of Smoking

Preventing Childhood Obesity

Preventing Childhood Obesity

Understanding Obesity

Understanding Obesity

Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Tips

Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Tips

Cancer Fighting Greens

Cancer Fighting Greens

How To Reduce Back Pain

How To Reduce Back Pain

Focus On Fitness To Lose Weight

Focus On Fitness To Lose Weight

Manage Your Anger With Exercise

Manage Your Anger With Exercise

Understanding The Damaging Effects Of Alcohol

Understanding The Damaging Effects Of Alcohol

3 Simple Steps To Start Supplements

3 Simple Steps To Start Supplements

How To Make Better Bad Food Choices

How To Make Better Bad Food Choices

Understand The 3 Areas Of Fitness

Understand The 3 Areas Of Fitness

Use Fitness & Nutrition Apps To Get In Shape

Use Fitness & Nutrition Apps To Get In Shape

Sit Down Fitness Tips

Sit Down Fitness Tips

Tips For Exercising Outdoors In Winter

Tips For Exercising Outdoors In Winter

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National Association of Health Underwriters

National Association of Health Underwriters

www.nahu.org  

703-276-0220

The National Association of Health Underwriters represents more than 100,000 licensed health insurance agents, brokers, consultants and benefit professionals through more than 200 chapters across America. NAHU members service the health insurance needs of large and small employers as well as people seeking individual health insurance coverage. Every day, NAHU members work to obtain insurance for clients who are struggling to balance their desire to purchase high-quality and comprehensive health coverage with the reality of rapidly escalating medical care costs. As such, one of NAHU's primary goals is to do everything we can to promote access to affordable health insurance coverage.


NAHU members help millions of consumers by guiding them through the complexities of health insurance purchasing and enrollment, while ensuring they get the best policy at the most affordable price. We seek to understand each personal situation to create recommendations that complement a client's financial and medical security needs. And our job does not end with the sale. Our licensed producers help their clients with claims issues, service questions and compliance matters throughout the life of each policy they sell.


The clients of NAHU members range from Fortune 500 companies to mom-and-pop businesses and individuals seeking health insurance. Our members have a unique understanding of consumer health care needs, the perspective of business owners and the economic realties of health insurance markets. We not only sell traditional health insurance products, but also coverage such as dental, long-term care, disability, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplements and a variety of consumer-driven products. Members agree to abide by NAHU's Code of Ethics, which requires them to always make health care coverage recommendations with the customer's best interest in mind.


NAHU offers its members a multitude of educational opportunities, including advanced designation programs, continuing-education classes and online learning. NAHU provides its members with professional conferences and networking functions, publications and business-development tools. We also conduct advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels of government to advance the interests of health insurance professionals and to promote affordable and responsible private health insurance market solutions.

Obesity - Impact on Health Spending

In this video, health benefit professional Tom Harte discusses how obesity and their associated health problems have a significant economic impact on our health care system. In fact, obesity is a significant driver of increased medical costs and undermines your health and financial well-being. By recognizing the inherent link between wellness and the cost of health care is evident that taking care of ourselves not only gives us a better quality of life, it also improves everyone's bottom-line.

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Tom Harte: Hi! I am Tom Harte, Board member of the National Association of Health Underwriters. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the current generation of children will be the first in America to have a shorter lifespan than their parent's generation; thanks largely to obesity related diseases.

Obesity and their associated health problems have a significant economic impact on our health care system. In fact, obesity is a significant driver of increased medical costs and undermines your health and financial well-being.

Recent studies show that obese Americans cost the country about $147 billion in weight related medical bills in 2008; double of what it was a decade ago. It now accounts for more than 9% of our total medical spending. Overall, the United States spends about 2 trillion a year in medical costs associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer; and all three are linked to smoking and obesity; the nation's two largest risk factors.

For obese people spending on hospital care is 36% higher and medication costs are 77% higher than for people of normal weight. The new healthcare law, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act allows employers to give further reduction in health insurance premiums to employees who practice healthy behavior; such as maintaining a healthy weight.

Beginning in 2014, employers can allow discounts for up to 50% in the cost of individual or family health care premiums and starting in 2011 small businesses will be eligible to receive grant funding to help implement wellness programs.

By recognizing the inherent link between wellness and the cost of health care is evident that taking care of ourselves not only gives us a better quality of life, it also improves everyone's bottom-line.