Small Businesses Have the Most to Lose
98% of all small businesses in the US have fewer than 20 employees and 86% have fewer than 10 employees. What meaningful investment can you make in your employee’s quality of life that will also give the business a good ROI? There must be such an investment, but what is it?
Here is one investment that others say, is tried and true. Following are a few facts. You can decide for yourself.
- Between 2000 and 2018, total annual hypertension-related cardiovascular deaths increased 58% from 171,259 to 270,839.
- 46% of Americans have elevated or high blood pressure (American Heart Association, 2018).
- Having hypertension puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States.
- In 2019, more than half a million deaths in the United States had hypertension as a primary or contributing cause.
- Only about 1 in 4 adults (24%) with hypertension have their condition under control.
For a time, people who have high blood pressure frequently feel healthy and energetic, until it’s too late. That’s why is referred to as the Silent Killer!
Individuals need to record 10 readings over time (download and print our blood pressure record card) and average them to get a good typical number for themselves.
You can make it easy for employees to test-track and manage their blood pressure. Let’s say you have five employees. Statistically almost half of them have elevated or high blood pressure. For less than 70 cents a day per employee around $100/ month, you can provide a self-testing kiosk with record cards and other health info related to blood pressure.
Heart Attack Cost on Small Employers
According to an article from the National Business Group on Health, the average total cost of a severe heart attack–including direct and indirect costs–is about $1 million. Direct costs include charges for hospitals, doctors, and prescription drugs, while indirect costs include lost productivity and time away from work. The average cost of a less severe heart attack is about $760,000. Amortized over 20 years, that’s $50,000 per year for a severe heart attack and $38,000 per year for a less severe heart attack.
Now you have the facts…you decide?