🔒A guide for navigating health care

Medical costs continue to weigh on the minds of business owners, HR professionals and the employees — all of whom struggle with the burden of higher premiums.

With this inaugural issue of Healthy Business, we at Mainebiz want to offer a roadmap — or better yet, a GPS — to help businesses get through the changes in the health care system.

“We decided to produce Healthy Business to help business owners navigate the complicated issues associated with keeping both their employees and their bottom lines healthy,” Donna Brassard, publisher of Mainebiz, says. “While Mainebiz reports on the health care industry in Maine — Healthy Business features advice and information to assist business owners in making good decisions related to employee wellness and productivity, medical insurance plan options, and risk and expense management. We've turned to industry experts for up-to-date information on regulations and new ideas that can affect a company's operations and bottom line. Plus, we've reached out to business owners and HR professionals to share their personal stories so we can learn from their experiences.”

This issue of Healthy Business would not be possible without the hard work of Senior Writer James McCarthy, our health care beat reporter.

Jim planned out the issue, conceived of the story ideas and assigned the stories. He worked with our research director, Roger Magnus, to upgrade our lists. He worked closely with our designer, Matt Selva. In Ironman fashion, Jim even wrote two of the stories you see here.

One of Jim's stories talks about private exchanges, and looks at a program being launched by Cross Insurance.

“It was driven by what's occurring in the health care industry,” Cross Employee Benefits President Mike Deschaine tells Jim. “The feedback has been tremendously positive from our customers. The carriers view this as cutting edge. We're trying to achieve 100% participation with the [health insurance] carriers in Maine and we'll be forming strategic partnerships with ancillary carriers, so if someone wants to buy vision, home and auto insurance, our exchange will have those options available as well.”

Jim compares the changes back to how companies shifted from defined benefit plans to 401(k) plans, where employees share the cost.

Elsewhere, Jim looks into the trends spotted in a PwC report, “Medical Cost Trend: Behind the Numbers 2016.” In trying to figure out what's ahead, Jim has three case studies that show how Maine stakeholders are responding to changes in health care costs.

Also in this issue, we look at the changing nature of the workplace itself.

Hemingway was said to have stood while he worked, but now we're seeing more research about the dangers of prolonged sitting. The people who are at their desks for eight hours a day are more likely to experience cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. At Kleinschmidt, a Pittsfield company, about 15% of employees are now using standing desks, which the company said is resulting in employees having more energy.

In a larger sense, an increasing number of employers are investing in wellness programs as a way to keep the workforce healthier, while reducing health care costs. On-site gyms have been around for decades, but we're seeing a greater number of on-site yoga classes and lunchtime walking sessions, as well as an influx of workplace resources to help employees make sound choices. We also have a How To column that points out what employers should do to avoid overstepping the boundaries with employees.

At the heart of all of this is the reminder that companies are made up of people and the health of those people ultimately benefits the health of the companies.