HCSS Model for Health & Wellness Mentioned on US Congress Floor

Text From the Congressional Record
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October 13, 2009

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to applaud HCSS, a small business in my district in Sugar Land, Texas. HCSS was recently honored by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top 15 small business workplaces in America. In this tough economy, the company that puts employees first is the one that stands out.

I recently met with Mike Rydin, the founder and CEO of HCSS, about the success of his company, and he said, ``We try to provide an environment that attracts and retains top talent and helps keep employees happy. Hiring top talent that loves coming to work allows us to provide topnotch software and service to our customers.''

HCSS was one of nearly 630 private, nonprofit, or publicly held organizations across the country that were nominated for this prestigious award. According to the Wall Street Journal, they select employers that foster teamwork, flexibility, high productivity, and innovation, while also helping their employees grow personally and professionally and providing benefits that improve lives and communities.

HCSS has taken a hands-on approach to wellness for their employees that should serve as a model for private-sector solutions to our Nation's health care problems.

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HCSS recently opened a new Sugar Land headquarters, which includes a one-third-mile, crushed-granite jogging trail, an exercise room, a game room, a gym with a basketball court, and a putting green. The company also pays fitness and wellness trainers to counsel employees on nutrition and exercise, and it offers on-site yoga and Pilates classes.

Each year, all employees are eligible to receive $100 for each good result in an annual health screening, such as good cholesterol levels, not smoking and moderate body mass index. HCSS recently contracted with a company that will provide employees doctor consultations over the Internet right there in the HCSS offices.

A focus on employee wellness should be part of the solution to our Nation's health care debate. Small companies need a level playing field in cost and affordability for their employees. That is why Congress should provide the same tax incentives for small companies that large corporations enjoy. Targeted tax relief would allow more companies to follow the HCSS model for health care for their employees.

As a result of the wellness programs at work at HCSS, their company-paid annual health insurance premiums fell over $600 per employee in 2008 from 2004--$600 per employee over a 4-year period. The company credits this to its vast wellness program and to its introduction of a high-deductible health plan, coupled with health reimbursement accounts to which the company contributes $1,000 to $3,000 annually for employee and dependent out-of-pocket health care expenses.

These are important examples of how health care costs can be reduced without looking to massive government programs to achieve greater coverage and lower costs. This is only one component of the debate, to be sure, but it can address many of the problems small businesses face to provide affordable health care to their employees.

Mike Rydin has future plans to build a school to train low-income people new skills so they can become more integrated parts of the communities in which they work and live.

HCSS has the kind of innovative and entrepreneurial vision to provide wellness and a comprehensive work environment that America has always relied on to find solutions to our bigger problems. I am proud of HCSS for their recognition as a top small workplace in America. This is the first Houston area company and only the second in the great State of Texas that has been recognized with this award.

Washington would do well to look at how small businesses like HCSS are achieving the results that we seek. Oftentimes, the great ideas come from the small innovators.
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