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Legislation which aims to fight the growing prevalence of chronic disease and improve the quality of life for the 135 million full- and part-time workers in the United States was reintroduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress.

Called the Healthy Workforce Act, the legislation was reintroduced by. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) and Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) who said thegoal of the legislation was to make wellness and prevention a part of the national discussion on healthcare reform.

The Healthy Workforce Act would provide a tax credit to companies that offer effective and comprehensive wellness programs.

The legislation would permit businesses to receive a credit for incorporating sound employee health management practices into their plan design, and would significantly ease barriers for both small and mid-sized employers to make a sound investment.

To receive this credit, programs are required to include components such as:

• health risk assessments;
• health awareness and behavior change programs;
• meaningful incentives for program participation; and
• an employee committee that tailors programs to meet workforce needs.

"Health reform will not be complete without prevention and wellness being a center piece for fixing this broken system, the lifesaving and cost-saving benefits have been proven in study after study," said Harkin. "With healthcare costs quickly increasing, it is no surprise that some companies report spending more than 50 percent of their profits to cover these expenses. Employer spending on health promotion and chronic disease prevention is a good investment. Studies have reported a proven rate of return on investment within 12 to 18 months, ranging from $2 to $10 for each dollar invested. It simply makes sense to partner with employers and leverage the place where Americans spend the majority of their waking hours – the workplace."

"This legislation helps businesses provide a range of opportunities to help their workers lead healthier lives, particularly small businesses that otherwise may not have the resources to provide wellness programs to their employees," said Cornyn. "Public health experts unanimously agree that people who maintain active and healthy lifestyles dramatically reduce their risk of contracting chronic diseases."

An estimated 145 million American adults are overweight and 74 million are obese, placing more than a third of the working-age population at risk for chronic illnesses. The estimated cost of obesity and overweight related health conditions is $117 billion per year, the lawmakers said.

Healthcare costs in the United States doubled from 1990 to 2001 and are expected to double again by 2012. And just three chronic conditions – asthma, diabetes and hypertension – are associated with 164 million lost work days per year at a cost to employers of $30 billion, they said.

Worksite wellness programs are an important means of addressing the nation’s rising obesity rates, increasing prevalence of chronic disease and escalating healthcare costs, according to the American Heart Association. A comprehensive wellness program can bring value and savings to employers in different ways through reductions in direct healthcare costs, proper healthcare utilization, increased performance measures, lower rates of absenteeism and lower prevalence of chronic disease or illness, the association noted.

Addresses: Sen. Tom Harkin, 731 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510; (202) 224-3254, http://harkin.senate.gov. Sen. John Cornyn, 517 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510; (202) 224-2934, http://cornyn.senate.gov. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, 2267 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515; (202) 225-4811, http://blumenauer.house.gov. Rep Mary Bono Mack, 1104 Canon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515; (202) 225-5330, http://bono.house.gov.