title: Six-year cost trends at PPG industries paralleling the introduction of health promotion programs directed at cardiovascular disease prevention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Over the past several years, PPG Industries (PPG) implemented worksite health promotion programs aimed at improving employees' health and reducing overall medical costs as well as those specific to cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using medical claims data, we examined trends in these costs among PPG employees for a 6-year period, from 2005 to 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall medical costs remained relatively flat, increasing by 1.2% compounded annually, unadjusted for inflation, while inflation-adjusted costs declined by 2.9%. Comparing worksites rated "high-high" on both program implementation and leadership support with worksites scoring highly on one or none of those dimensions, the "high-high" group experienced a decreasing cost trend, whereas the "other" group showed an increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis suggests that PPG's efforts to reconfigure and intensify its wellness program offerings may have resulted lower health care cost trends.
authors.affiliation: Health and Productivity Research, Health and Productivity Research, Truven Health Analytics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. ron.goetzel@truvenhealth.com
authors.forename: Ron Z
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Goetzel
authors.forename: Niranjana M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Kowlessar
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Henke
authors.forename: Richele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benevent
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabrizi
authors.forename: Alberto M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Colombi
mesh_terms: D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000639:trends*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000191:economics*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D017132:Workplace