Tired of double-digit health care premium increases, CLARK Security Products initiated an employee wellness program in 2009. We set out to overturn the assumption that rising health care costs is a reality that companies have to accept lying down. Here’s what we learned:

Get commitment from the top. Management must drive the company’s wellness initiatives. CLARK executives boost employee morale by supporting the program and demonstrating active and healthy lifestyles.

Partner with your insurance broker. CLARK partnered with Intercare Insurance Solutions, an insurance broker willing to think outside the box. We switched to a self-insured model to get precise data through aggregate claims and health assessments. Intercare negotiated extra discounts with CLARK’s carriers based on positive program participation and outcomes.

Understand the population’s needs. Motivated by admission to a lower-cost medical benefits program, a striking 72% of the employees participated in CLARK’s first health assessment; 77%, the second. Reviewing other available reports and the aggregate data from the assessment, including cholesterol and blood pressure statistics, we identified the top health risks. These became the focus of the wellness program.

Reduce barriers to accessing care and encourage prescribed compliance. The data enabled the company to identify and remove barriers to care and compliance with prescribed drug regimens. Through plan design, out-of-pocket costs became less of a barrier.

Motivate population to make healthy and informed choices. Early in the program, physical inactivity (and health issues linked to a sedentary lifestyle) was identified as a top health risk factor. CLARK challenged employees to compete in a yearlong walking program. Within six months and on a shoestring budget, 80% of the employees were participating and had walked 20,667 miles. By year two, physical inactivity had been eliminated from the company’s top five health risks.

Communicate. CLARK publishes regular wellness updates in a monthly e-newsletter and semiannual town hall video and invites employees to contribute best practices that enable them to reach their wellness goals.

Achieve a healthier bottom line. In 2010, 68% of the employees said that they had been inspired to lead healthier lifestyles through the wellness offerings. CLARK has also achieved a progressive three-year reduction in the number of people who reported having trouble performing work/life tasks due to mental health issues. Sick days have declined every year as well. In 2010, CLARK experienced just a 2.9% increase in year-over-year costs for wellness and benefits programs by quantifying reductions in absenteeism, excess health claims, and lost productivity, in addition to carrier discounts. The wellness program achieved 400% ROI that year.