Obesity - Impact on Health Spending
Get the latest Flash player
Understanding Obesity
Obesity - Addressing the Issue with Employee Wellness Programs
Obesity - Getting with the Program
Obesity - Impact on Health Spending
Understanding Non-Adherence to Medication
Understanding the High Costs of Smoking
Preventing Childhood Obesity
Understanding Obesity
Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Tips
Cancer Fighting Greens
How To Reduce Back Pain
Focus On Fitness To Lose Weight
Manage Your Anger With Exercise
Understanding The Damaging Effects Of Alcohol
3 Simple Steps To Start Supplements
How To Make Better Bad Food Choices
Understand The 3 Areas Of Fitness
Use Fitness & Nutrition Apps To Get In Shape
Sit Down Fitness Tips
Tips For Exercising Outdoors In Winter
National Association of Health Underwriters
National Association of Health Underwriters
703-276-0220
info@nahu.org
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.
Transcripts
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.
(Add Comment)