Cooper Ventures, Cooper Benefits Worksite Wellness Testimony

Cooper Experts Testify Before Texas House Committee
on Public Health About Worksite Wellness

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Cooper Aerobics Center executives representing its corporate services divisions – Cooper Benefits and Cooper Ventures – testified before the Texas House Committee on Public Health today. The committee led by chair Dianne Delisi (District 55, Bell County) held three panels to gather more information on the past, current and future state of worksite wellness in Texas.

David Atkinson, vice president of Cooper Ventures, joined by vice president of Cooper Benefits, Christian Moreno, spoke before the committee about current trends in the industry, Cooper's corporate consulting offerings and the state of future employees. The panel also included the Texas Medical Association, Texas Pharmacy Association, Texas Association of Business and No More Medicines.

In his testimony, Atkinson said, "The value proposition of corporate wellness programming has been well documented for more than 25 years. Companies have long known that there exists a direct link between an employee's physical health and the company's fiscal well-being."

Atkinson shared how the current health care crisis has set the stage for corporate America to do something about it, and listed four major trends that is helping to drive this, including the consumer driven health plan, "The low premium, high deductible model is a message from employers that enough is enough. Employers have an opportunity to educate employees that participation in wellness events and activities can lessen their financial impact."

In addition, a new IRS regulation has established a maximum 20 percent differential allowing benefits managers to both provide incentives for employees to increase wellness compliance and disincentives to employees for non-compliance. Furthermore, potential legislation at the national level would extend tax incentives to small to mid-size companies who have implemented a wellness program that meets standards supported by the IRS, HIPAA and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"What is the one thing that Human Resource directors now want? They want to integrate their benefits package with a customized wellness program. Cooper Benefits has done just that. Cooper Benefits combines corporate wellness design with health benefits consulting," added Atkinson.

Established last year, Cooper Benefits is unique in that it funds its clients' worksite wellness initiatives through a portion of the customary benefits commissions, essentially eliminating a concern about return on investment for mid-sized business.

Co-founded by preventive medicine pioneer and "father of aerobics" Dr. Kenneth Cooper and his son Dr. Tyler Cooper, Cooper Ventures and Cooper Benefits are two of 10 health companies, along with a nonprofit education and research institute, that make up the world-renowned Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas and McKinney, Texas. Cooper Ventures manages worksite wellness programs and provides expertise on staffing, managing, and marketing residential and commercial health and fitness facilities. Cooper Benefits combines traditional employee benefits consulting with custom corporate wellness programs. For more information, visit www.cooperaerobics.com.

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