Wellness programs benefit all

After reading the Wall Street Journal’s “Employers Cut Down on Wellness Benefits” article (June 20) and having read that many companies are cutting back on wellness programs, I am even more grateful that my company, Huntington Ingalls Industries, offers not only a wellness program but an on-site state-of-the-art health center.

Easy access to health care and a free wellness team changed my life and may have saved my life. At Ingalls’ health center, I found out I had Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, and I was put on medication and set up with my wellness team, including a diabetic specialist, nutritionist and wellness coach. It was the first time in my life I felt that my health care team truly cared about my success. I lost 30 pounds and decreased my medication through proper eating and exercise.

Some companies don’t feel they are getting enough return on their investment. I’m not sure what criteria they are using, but I don’t see how that’s possible. Epidemics like diabetes are not going away without serious intervention. What more of a return on investment do you need than developing healthier and happier employees, building loyalty in your workforce and helping curb long-term health care costs for your company?

It may not be happening as quickly as some companies would like, but it’s short-term thinking to abandon a clearly valuable model in an environment where health care is only getting more expensive and less personal. I encourage other companies to emulate Huntington Ingalls and continue and even expand their wellness benefits. The payoff is immeasurable.

This story was originally published July 16, 2016 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Wellness programs benefit all."