Scott Paddock’s Post

With chronic disease being one of the leading drivers of health-care costs in the United States, it’s no wonder that so many polled (82%) consider preventive care “extremely important”. However, employee disengagement in preventive care measures can be a costly problem for employers. Read Wondr Health’s latest blog on how employers can finetune their health-care strategy to prevent chronic disease. And this goes beyond health-care costs – a more empowered, healthier workforce is good for company culture, productivity, and the overall well-being of your people. #PreventiveCare #EmployeeWellness #WondrHealth 

What an incredible testimonial from Owen, a Wondr Health program participant, who was able to lose almost 25% of his body weight and reduce his medication and chronic pain. Thank you, Owen, for sharing your inspirational story! Hearing our participants’ life-changing stories is a testament to the real-life benefits of a comprehensive behavior-change program and a powerful reminder of why we do what we do. 

Amazing job to our clinical and data teams! Presenting groundbreaking research at five scientific conferences to date this year is no small feat. It further advances our science-backed solutions and contributes to obesity research and better health for all! 

Team building with pickleball! Great seeing some of our Wondr Health colleagues in the new office and taking some time to recharge and reconnect. Feeling very lucky to be on this team and truly grateful for their leadership, hard work, and dedication – here's to more victories on and off the court! 

What an incredible testimonial from a Wondr program participant – thank you for sharing your inspirational story! Hearing our participants’ life-changing stories is a testament to the real-life benefits of a comprehensive behavior-change program and a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.

Weight-loss medication coverage is a pressing issue in the benefits space, surrounded by controversy and barriers including high costs, misconceptions, medication shortages, medication adherence issues, and more. But with more medications on the horizon, and an increase in the number of health issues these medications can treat, we’ve only met the tip of the weight-loss medication iceberg. And with 67% of employees willing to stay in a job they dislike solely for the weight-loss medication coverage, it’s not a matter of if, but when + HOW many employers will include weight-loss medications in their coverage. Balancing care and cost comes down to a few things: 1. Make sure you have a really good behavioral-change program – it will help with adherence, longevity, and quality of life. 2. Personalization is key, especially with weight loss – engagement, clinical success, and adherence all rely on an individualized approach. 3. Qualified experts and comprehensive care matters – there are providers who have additional training specifically in obesity medicine (side effects, dosing, a holistic approach, etc.) and can provide better, safer care. 4. Take a bird's eye view of medication cost – in addition to reducing obesity-related disease, some of these medications have been shown to directly address heart health, kidney health, etc. ultimately reducing other medication costs. This list isn’t by any means inclusive, but it’s a few top checklist items when looking at a weight-loss medication benefit strategy. It’s a bit of the Wild West out there, but with the right strategy, employers can help improve the health of their people while being financially responsible. 

The obesity cost challenge is complicated, with many, many factors. So are GLP-1s the silver-bullet for obesity and obesity-related disease? Not exactly... Read from my latest article in MedCity News, "Balancing Weight-loss Medication Cost and Care", for insights into how organizations can better manage their GLP-1 strategy to benefit their people while bringing down health-care costs: https://lnkd.in/ge7daztg

Even the most powerful tools can be ineffective without the right support. From CNN's article on weight-loss medications: "Most people using GLP-1 medications – about 58% – were on their treatment plan for less than 12 weeks, falling short of a key benchmark in the weight-loss treatment timeline." Measures such as individualized care, full-spectrum weight-loss drugs utilization (not just GLPs), a solid behavior-change program, and qualified weight-loss medication experts can help support people taking weight-loss medications. And these tactics also help employers reduce costs, mitigate risks, and increase engagement - a win-win. 👉 Article here: https://lnkd.in/giGY5ri3

With skyrocketing obesity rates and increasing GLP-1 demand, many employers are (rightfully so) concerned about how these latest medications will impact their bottom line. So, what can they do? Take a look at this white paper from Wondr Health for suggestions on how organizations can balance the possible health benefits of weight-loss drugs against the high cost.