St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) April 29, 2014 <\/p>\n
According to financial wellness firm, Four Seasons Financial Education (FSFE), employers may be able to decrease health care costs by way of financial wellness programs. As employers target employee health issues such as heart disease, anxiety and high blood pressure to decrease costs, stress may be to blame for some, if not all, of these expensive illnesses. <\/p>\n
A 2013 article by the Mayo Clinic cites that the long-term activation of the stress-response system can increase the risk of heart disease, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, memory issues and even weight gain*. This stress comes from numerous sources, but money appears to top the list. In a 2013 stress survey by the American Psychological Association, money was found to be the number one cause of stress for Americans, cited by 70% of all respondents**. <\/p>\n
\"Companies are finally seeing the link between financial health and physical health,\" says FSFE President, Travis Freeman. \"Employers trying to curb health care costs can't ignore the financial impact of an employee's health.\" <\/p>\n
Further studies show health care costs can be as much as ten times more for employees with chronic health issues as compared to those with none. Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan cited average costs per year for patients with no chronic health issues at $2,788. Patients with one chronic health issue over doubled to $6,573 per year. For those with three or more issues, the costs increased to $27,763`. <\/p>\n
*Chronic Stress Puts Your Health at Risk, July 11, 2013. http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/mz6xo3p<\/a> **Stress in America survey, 2013. http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/mky8ahk<\/a> `Health Care Cost Drivers: Chronic Disease, Comorbidity, and Health Risk Factors in the U.S. and Michigan. Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation. August 3, 2010. http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/mvkok94<\/a> <\/p>\n About Four Seasons Financial Education Four Seasons Financial Education provides workplace financial wellness and education services to companies throughout the US in an effort to improve their bottom line. We take a strictly academic approach to financial education and focus on the core areas of personal finance, thereby seeking to increase employee productivity and organizational performance. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA\/SIPC <\/p>\n <\/p>\n More: <\/p>\n Health Care Costs Can Decrease with Employee Financial Education According to FSFE.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) April 29, 2014 According to financial wellness firm, Four Seasons Financial Education (FSFE), employers may be able to decrease health care costs by way of financial wellness programs. As employers target employee health issues such as heart disease, anxiety and high blood pressure to decrease costs, stress may be to blame for some, if not all, of these expensive illnesses Continue reading