Chicago wellness: Shape up, save money

Chicago's police union walked right into a barrage of doughnut jokes last week by declining to sign on to the city's new wellness program.

The president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, who leads an umbrella organization representing local labor unions, stood beside Mayor Rahm Emanuel to announce the program, a win-win designed to save taxpayers money by getting city employees to take care of themselves. All of the city's unions are on board except for the Fraternal Order of Police.

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The program, which will cover 35,000 union and non-union workers and spouses, is meant to get a handle on escalating health care costs — currently $500 million a year, or about 10 percent of the city budget. Savings in the first year are estimated at $20 million.

The mayor is now urging other agencies — such as the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District — to enroll in the city's program or start their own. There's no good reason not to.

Chicago's health care costs are rising by about 10 percent a year. Wellness plans, increasingly common in the private sector, can buck that trend.

The American Journal of Health Promotion reviewed published studies of dozens of workplace wellness programs and concluded that on average, every $1 investment in wellness resulted in $3.50 in savings from lower health care costs and lower absenteeism. A second study by the same group found average reductions of 27 percent in absenteeism from illness, 26 percent in health care costs and 32 percent in workers comp and disability claims.

Chicago's program will be fairly typical: Based on an annual screening, participants will be given a plan designed to help them stay or get healthy. Depending on what problems or risks are identified, they could be referred to a smoking cessation program or given a diet and exercise program or instructed to see a doctor immediately for a serious condition.

They'll be required to report in regularly, but they won't be penalized if the pounds don't come off or the blood pressure isn't dropping. Those who don't participate, though, must pay an extra $50 a month in premiums (and $50 for a partner). That's a powerful incentive to at least try.

Why is it the mayor's business if a city truck driver's cholesterol is too high? Because getting it under control early can save taxpayers big bucks later. Emanuel says 4 percent of city workers currently account for 60 percent of health care spending.

Those costs are driven by a handful of diseases — including hypertension, diabetes and heart disease — that can be managed or prevented. But the required lifestyle adjustments are easy to put off, especially if the problem isn't detected. That's what wellness programs are all about.

So what's up with the cops? The FOP president didn't paint a flattering portrait of Chicago's finest when he told the Sun-Times his members were "not the healthiest."

Wacky hours, heavy stress, lots of fast food. Frankly, we think that makes them perfect candidates for a wellness program.

So we were surprised to learn the cops already have one. The FOP bargained for one in its 2003 contract. It runs its own screenings and controls its own records, two functions the union isn't eager to cede to the city. And there's no $50-a-month penalty to opt out. Why should the union be interested in Emanuel's plan?

Here's why: The participation rate in the police wellness program is 20 percent.

Somehow we don't think the other 80 percent are all minding their blood pressure and cholesterol like they ought to. That's not good for the cops or the taxpayers.