A couple of drops of blood for a biometric screening might not seem like a big deal, but for many employees, the mention of biometric screenings strikes fear in their hearts.

A biometric screening program is an important first step toward improving the health of your employees and reducing health care costs. Many health indicators, such as high blood pressure, can go undetected. Screenings are an ideal way to not only help employees become aware of their current health status, but also to educate and get them on the road to health. 

What's the price? This, of course, is always one of the first questions many wellness and HR professionals have when starting the research process for an on-site biometric screening program.

The cost of a biometric screening varies according to level of service provided by national vendors and the total number of employees to be screened, but is typically $40 to $70 per participant. 

Before choosing any on-site biometric screening vendor, be sure to look into the whole cost of the program. Unfortunately, some biometric screening vendors tempt companies with low initial pricing but when you read the fine print you uncover hidden costs and additional fees you weren't expecting.

When it comes to measuring the overall health of employees, a simple measuring tape may be what your on-site biometric screening program is missing. 

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer of men and women in the United States, claiming 2,200 lives every day. Yet the majority of your employees may be dangerously unaware of personal heart risks or the steps to lower those risks.

For companies considering hosting on-site health screenings, one of the most commonly asked questions is about fasting vs. non-fasting lipid testing.

Human resource and wellness professionals have difficult jobs - improve employee health AND be able to document success. With so many tests, numbers and equations that you can use to determine the health of employees, it can be daunting.

More employers are encouraging employees to quit smoking with incentives (or penalties!) According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM’s) 2018 Employee Benefits survey report, 16% of employers provide a discount on health insurance premiums to people who do not use tobacco products, 10% offer a discount for participating in a program to quit smoking and 18% impose a smoking surcharge.

Given the often high-valued health care discounts, many employers are turning to nicotine testing to discourage dishonesty and ensure incentives are appropriately distributed. 

As a HR or health promotion professional, you probably have been hearing a lot about biometric screenings. But you may be wondering how biometric screenings can really help your company and wellness program. By measuring your employees’ cholesterol and glucose levels, body mass index and blood pressure, onsite screenings provide information you and your employees need to understand health risks. Plus, you gain insights that health risk appraisals or claims data alone can’t provide.