News and Journal
By Jim Hunt for the News and Journal
Every election cycle brings renewed debate over healthcare in America. During my time as mayor and councilmember in Clarksburg, for nearly three decades, I sat through more than a few budget meetings where the debate was about skyrocketing health insurance premiums, higher co-pays, and shrinking benefits. The conversation was always about how to pay for healthcare, not how to keep people healthy in the first place. In other words, wellness!
Wellness is like a smoke detector. It doesn’t put out fires, but it can prevent catastrophe. You could station firetrucks on every corner, but without that early warning system, you’re always reacting instead of preventing. Healthcare works the same way: without a real commitment to wellness, we’ll keep spending more to fix what could have been avoided.
Health insurance is what we turn to when something goes wrong. It’s the safety net, a doctor visit, a prescription, a hospital stay. It’s about treatment, coverage, and cost. But it’s not about living well. Insurance doesn’t help you sleep better, manage stress, or eat smarter. It’s reactive. You get sick, you use it.
Wellness, on the other hand, is proactive. It’s the daily choices that help us avoid needing that safety net. It’s taking a walk after dinner instead of collapsing on the couch. It’s checking in on your mental health, not just your blood pressure. It’s financial stability, friendships, purpose, and laughter. Wellness is about prevention, not reaction.
As a Type II diabetic, I see that difference every day. When I check my blood sugar regularly, I can make small adjustments before things spiral. But if I test only occasionally, I might assume everything’s fine, until it’s not. That simple daily act of awareness makes a dramatic difference in my numbers and my health. That’s wellness in action: staying engaged and taking responsibility before a crisis hits.
Local governments are beginning to recognize that employee wellness affects everything, from productivity and morale to long-term costs. A workforce that’s physically, mentally, and financially well doesn’t just cost less, it performs better. As one city manager recently told me, “We’ve been paying for illness for decades. It’s time we started investing in wellness.”
That’s why I’m proud to work with my colleagues at Bearing Advisors on an innovative wellness solution, the Prevent+Protect program. It helps cities and local governments support the physical, mental, and financial wellness of their employees, at no cost to the city or the workers. Programs like this represent a new kind of partnership, one that values prevention as much as protection.
For local governments, embracing wellness isn’t just a benefit, it’s a responsibility. When we help our employees stay healthy, we strengthen our communities, lower costs, and set an example for the citizens we serve. The future of healthcare won’t be decided by who pays the bills, but by who has the courage to prevent the fire before it starts.