The economic value of a wellness and disease prevention program.

The objective of this study was to determine the economic impact of the Hawaii Medical Service Association's health promotion/disease prevention program. A retrospective analysis of health risk, health claims, and cost was performed using a mixed model factorial design for the years 2002-2005 that compared program participants to nonparticipants. All analyses were adjusted for preexisting observed differences based on sex, age, baseline morbidity, and health care costs between participants and nonparticipants using propensity score matching method and/or covariates as appropriate. After analyzing data from more than 166,000 HMSA members over a 4-year period, participants were found to incur consistently lower costs. Predictive modeling of upward cost trajectories relative to actual health care costs for participants and risk-matched nonparticipants indicated a savings of $350 per participant per year. Those who participated in additional wellness programming demonstrated additional cost savings. This study illustrates the economic value of a comprehensive health promotion program.