ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT | HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Employers and employees benefit from a healthier lifestyle By SHERYL JEAN Staff Writer [email protected] Health care costs 2011 2012 U.S. Texas Dallas-Fort Worth $10,438 $11,003 $9,232 $9,770 $9,240 $9,641 Average benefit* cost per employee: * Includes medical, dental, prescription, vision and hearing benefits at companies with at least 500 employe es Texas ranked No. 27 nationally for the overall well-being level of its residents in April 2012, the same as in 2011. Hawaii was the top state. West Virginia was last. Texas’ state of well-being 1 HI 2 CO 3 MN 4 UT 5 VT 6 MT 7 NE 8 NH 9 IA 10 MA 11 MD 12 SD 13 WY 14 VA 15 WA 16 CT 17 KS 18 CA 19 ND 20 WI 21 ME 22 ID 23 AZ 24 OR 25 NM 26 DE 27 TX 28 IL 29 PA 30 NY 31 AK 32 NJ 33 GA 34 FL 35 NC 36 MI 37 RI 38 MO 39 NV 40 SC 41 OK 42 IN 43 LA 44 OH 45 AL 46 AR 47 TN 48 MS 49 KY 50 WV The growth of health care costs to employers has slowed in recent years partly due to changes made by them an d their employees. Many employers have shifted costs to employees by raising deductibles, co-pays/co-insurance or out-of-pocke t maximums or moving toward high-deductible health plans. Workforce health management, or wellness, has become a top long-term strategy to help control healt h care spending and encourage healthier behavio r. 2011 2012 27 27 14 10 24 29 24 25 37 33 19 18 45 45 Well-being overall Life evaluation Emotional health Physical health Healthy behavior Work environment Basic access Top quintile 2nd quintile Bottom quintile 4th quintile 3rd quintile Population (18 and older) Austin 1,388,934 El Paso 595,273 D-FW 4,860,615 Houston 4,525,638 1, 658,901 San Antonio Killeen 301,581 Overall rank 2012 34 50 61 74 91 157 2011 36 163 64 68 55 168 Life evaluation 2012 18 9 43 33 52 69 2011 33 87 34 40 13 97 Emotional health 2012 71 94 70 81 123 182 2011 101 127 86 43 99 187 Physical health 2012 66 24 40 29 120 152 2011 19 45 37 28 100 142 Healthy behavior 2012 68 72 143 137 70 162 2011 103 63 137 125 121 107 Work environment 2012 63 88 47 70 92 174 2011 41 189 71 62 79 179 Basic access 2012 75 173 130 152 139 118 2011 73 187 114 160 111 156 McAllen 545,455 Corpus Christi 323,733 Beaumont 297,520 175 177 186 164 78 167 85 125 156 46 36 131 116 170 144 180 97 167 161 182 174 186 120 124 114 169 179 89 159 178 177 162 188 98 30 140 189 171 174 190 142 179 D-FW Houston Austin Killeen San Antonio El Paso Beaumont Corpus Christi McAllen Texas Where are people happier and healthier? People living in large U.S. metropoli tan areas have higher levels of well-being than those in small towns or rural areas. Only one of nine Texas metro areas (Austin) ranks in the top 20 percent; five are in the bottom 20 percent. Large companies Yoga at work U.S. big businesses were more likely than small businesses to offer a wellness program in 2012. Offers at least one wellness program Gym membership discount or on-site gym Smoking cessation program Weight loss programs Lifestyle coaching Nutrition/ healthy living classes Biometric screening 94% 65% 70% 65% 56% 54% 48% Texas metro areas (200+ employees) NOTE: Ranking of 189 metropolitan statistical areas, following U.S. Census Bureau definitions. By MICHAEL HOGUE Staff Artist [email protected] Metro area