Comparing excess costs across multiple corporate populations.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of health risk level to charged medical costs and determine the excess cost of higher risk individuals compared to low risk. Two years of medical claims from six corporations were used to determine costs of health risk assessment (HRA) participants and nonparticipants. A total of 165,770 employees, 21,124 of which took an HRA, were used for the study.

Pattern of medical charges after quitting smoking among those with and without arthritis, allergies, or back pain.

Purpose: To examine the time frame of changes in medical charges after smoking cessation among (1) those with arthritis, allergies, or back pain and (2) those with none of these chronic conditions.

Design: Cross-sectional study using smoking status determined in 1996 and 4-year average medical charges measured from 1996 to 1999.

Setting: Nationwide manufacturing corporation (General Motors Corporation).

Association between wellness score from a health risk appraisal and prospective medical claims costs.

This study examines how wellness scores generated from the Health Risk Appraisal are associated with prospective medical claims costs, controlling for age, gender, and disease status. The study was conducted among 19,861 active employees who participated in the Health Risk Appraisal and selected indemnity or PPO medical plans from 1996 to 1998. A multiple regression model based on group averages of age, gender, disease status, and wellness score levels was developed among a randomly selected screening subsample (n=10,172) from the study sample.

Examination of risk status transitions among active employees in a comprehensive worksite health promotion program.

Most worksite health promotion programs are designed to effect risk reduction. Net changes in the prevalence of health behaviors are a combination of individuals who reduce to low-risk and those who become high-risk. It is the purpose of this study to examine overall risk status transitions, between low-risk (0-2 risks); medium-risk (3-4 risks); and high-risk (5 or more risks), within a comprehensive worksite health promotion program over the first year of the program (short-term) and after 5 years (long-term).

The relationship between National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Weight Guidelines and concurrent medical costs in a manufacturing population.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between the 1998 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) weight guidelines and concurrent medical costs.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: In a nationwide manufacturing corporation (General Motors Corporation).

Influence of participation in a worksite health-promotion program on disability days.

This study assessed the impact of health-promotion program participation on short-term and long-term disability absence days during a 6-year period in a manufacturing company. Male, hourly, active employees (n = 4189) were analyzed from 1995 to 2000. Disability absences were compared for program participants and nonparticipants from baseline (1995) through 5 years of the program.

The UAW-GM health promotion program. Successful outcomes.

1. The success of the LifeSteps program may rest in the UAW and GM leadership's vision to use a high level joint steering committee, a day to day working committee, third party program providers, support of confidentiality throughout the entire program, and a comprehensive data driven decision making system. 2.