Six Resources for Employers About Improving Health and Health Care for Employees

For employers and other health care purchasers, such as unions, engaging employees to better manage their health and spend health care dollars wisely are crucial efforts, but can seem daunting. Here are some resources to get you started:

• The Communication Toolkit, developed by the American Institutes for Research, provides customizable handouts with actionable and easy-to-understand tips and tools that employers can use to help employees understand what it means to receive quality health  care and how 
• The “Own Your Health” campaign is a great example of a program for engaging employees in their health and health care. “Own Your Health” was created by the Puget Sound Health Alliance for King County and Sound Health & Wellness Trust, and features videos and helpful tips and tools for employees to use in taking control of their health. 
• Buying Value is a purchaser-driven initiative that aims to change the way health care is paid  for—so that purchasers are paying for better care, not more care.
• Catalyst for Payment Reform is a purchaser-led organization that identifies and coordinates strategies for improving value and quality in the health care system. The organization offers a comprehensive toolkit for purchasers to understand and recognize which strategies are best for them and their employees when making changes to the way they pay for care.
• The National Business Coalition on Health, which is a membership organization of purchaser-led health care collaboratives, offers action briefs on important health topics for purchasers and strategies for addressing these issues.