- OPM has posted on its website the 2007 Factbook which “contains statistics on employee demographics; compensation, payroll, and work years; performance management and the Senior Executive Service (SES); retirement and insurance programs; and student employment programs.” Here are a few stats to whet your appetite — average age of a federal employee in 2006 — 46.9 — percentage of federal employees with college degrees — 43% — as of March 31, 2006, the number of federal and postal employees enrolled in the FEHBP — 2,140,208 — the number of FEHBP annuitants — 1,831,451 — the estimated number of dependents — 3,855,147 and the estimated number of total FEHBP participants — 7,837,675.
- HIT News reports on the personal health record findings addressed in the Deloitte 2009 Survey of Health Care Consumers. This one grabbed me — While only 9 percent of consumers surveyed have an electronic personal health record, 42 percent are interested in establishing PHRs connected online to their physicians.
- Wyatt Watson Worldwide and the National Business Group on Health published a survey on employer sponsored wellness programs. According to the Wyatt Watson press release,
Incentives for health risk appraisals are on the rise, offered by 61 percent of employers, up from 53 percent in 2008. Other programs that frequently offer incentives to encourage use include those for smoking cessation (offered by 40 percent of employers in both 2008 and 2009), weight management (offered by 34 percent of employers, up from 31 percent in 2008) and full coverage of preventive services (offered by 73 percent, up from 53 percent last year). According to the survey, even moderate incentives can help engage employees in healthy behaviors. Financial incentives between $51 and $100 can boost participation in smoking cessation and weight management programs and encourage workers to get biometric screenings. Higher participation in health risk appraisals is associated with incentives greater than $100. However, financial incentives have limited impact on participation in disease management programs.
