Holistic Health Investment: Empowering Self-Funded Employers to Drive Wellbeing
Author: Cristin D, Smith, Founder & CEO
For many organizations in San Diego and beyond, operating a self-funded health plan presents both opportunity and risk. A small segment of plan members with extremely high annual claims can significantly influence overall spending, and fluctuations in claim severity often create financial instability for employers. These pressures make it essential for companies to adopt strategies that reduce clinical risk, improve workforce wellbeing, and manage long-term costs more effectively.
Self-funded models offer employers increased control, customization and transparency, allowing them to design plans that better align with their workforce’s physical health needs. From a holistic health standpoint, this creates a strong business case for proactive and integrative approaches to employee wellbeing rather than relying solely on reactive care.
Why Holistic Healthcare Matters for Self-Funded Employers
When employers prioritize physical health, wellness, therapy and preventive strategies in a holistic healthcare framework, they are engaging in risk management. Effective wellbeing programs are associated with lower absenteeism, higher productivity, and reduced long-term health costs. This leads to lower claim frequency and severity, enhanced workforce engagement, and improved financial stability within a self-funded model. In the San Diego market—where talent retention and employee experience are major priorities—holistic health offerings also serve as a competitive advantage.
Key Pillars of a Holistic Healthcare Strategy for Self-Funded Plans
1. Risk Stratification & Early Intervention
Employers need to analyze claims trends, identify high-risk groups, and categorize employees by emerging physical health indicators. This allows them to recognize patterns in musculoskeletal issues, cardiovascular risk, stress-related conditions, and chronic pain. Early intervention based on data-driven strategies significantly reduces the likelihood of high-cost events and supports better wellbeing outcomes.
2. Preventive & Wellbeing-Centered Therapy
Organizations can strengthen their benefits by integrating preventive physical health screenings, ergonomics support, stress-reduction interventions, and manual therapy. This model supports the entire spectrum of wellbeing—mental, emotional and physical—by addressing root causes and building long-term resilience. Musculoskeletal and circulatory conditions remain among the most expensive and common drivers of major medical claims, making prevention crucial for self-funded employers.
3. Holistic Healthcare Offerings: NAD IV Therapy & Beyond
NAD IV therapy (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide infusion) is gaining recognition for its potential to support cellular repair, energy production, and neurocognitive function. While it does not replace primary care, early research highlights benefits relevant to workforce performance, including improved metabolism and recovery. Saffron & Sage offers NAD IV therapy as part of a broader holistic healthcare model that integrates therapy, physical health services, and whole-person wellbeing support for self-funded employers in San Diego.
4. Education & Culture of Wellbeing
Employer-sponsored education on integrative healthcare, stress management, lifestyle medicine, and hormonal balance helps employees make informed choices that reduce reactive care needs. A culture of wellbeing reinforces preventive behaviors, increases engagement, and aligns employee lifestyle patterns with organizational health goals.
5. Measurement & Continuous Improvement
Self-funded employers should consistently measure key outcomes such as absenteeism, high-cost claim frequency, chronic condition management, employee satisfaction, and productivity indicators. Continuous improvement ensures that wellbeing initiatives remain cost-effective and aligned with financial goals.
Science-Based Support for NAD IV Therapy in Holistic Healthcare
To understand why NAD IV therapy is gaining traction in holistic healthcare and workplace wellness, it helps to look at the emerging scientific evidence behind it. Current research highlights NAD+ as a central player in metabolic function, cellular repair, and cognitive performance—areas closely tied to employee energy, resilience, and long-term health. The following findings illustrate how NAD IV therapy aligns with these broader physiological and productivity benefits:
NAD+ plays a significant role in cellular repair, metabolic health, and aging processes, according to research published in NAD+ Metabolism in Aging and Disease ( NAD+ Metabolism in Aging and Disease).
Workplace wellness programs have been shown to improve productivity, with one study identifying approximately a 10% performance increase among healthier employees (Doing Well by Making Well).
Clinical summaries indicate NAD IV therapy may support cognitive clarity, energy levels, and stress resilience, making it relevant to workforce wellbeing (NAD+ IV Therapy in Aesthetic Medicine).
These findings lay the foundation for integrating NAD IV therapy into a holistic employer strategy, with the goal of reducing clinical risk, improving physical health outcomes, and supporting long-term performance.
Top 5 Reasons Self-Funded Employers Should Prioritize Holistic Health Now
High-Cost Claims Are Rising – Early intervention reduces exposure to catastrophic medical events.
Savings Directly Benefit the Employer – Lower claims immediately improve the financial stability of self-funded plans.
Holistic Healthcare Strengthens Workforce Wellbeing – Therapy, physical health services, and integrated care reduce chronic stress, chronic pain, and preventable conditions.
Employee Expectations Are Shifting – Workers increasingly value proactive wellbeing support and integrative health resources.
Holistic Healthcare Is Scalable – Saffron & Sage can tailor programs to employer size, demographics, and risk profile in San Diego.
Implementation Guide for Self-Funded Employers
Step 1: Assess Your Current Plan – Identify your top drivers of cost and areas where proactive care could reduce risks.
Step 2: Define Clear Wellbeing Objectives – Align goals with desired outcomes such as fewer high-cost claims or improved engagement.
Step 3: Partner with a Holistic Healthcare Provider – Work with a San Diego-based organization that can deliver therapy, physical health services, such as NAD IV therapy.
Step 4: Launch a Pilot Wellbeing Program – Begin with targeted groups and measure outcomes.
Step 5: Scale Successful Initiatives – Integrate proven programs into benefits design.
Step 6: Reinforce Wellbeing Across the Organization – Create a culture that values health, prevention, and long-term resilience.
Linking Holistic Wellbeing to Financial Performance
Self-funded employers face increasing financial pressure from preventable health conditions, rising claim costs, and workforce stress. Shifting toward a proactive, holistic healthcare model can significantly reduce these risks while strengthening employee wellbeing. Integrating therapeutic support, physical health services, and modalities provides a structured and evidence-supported path toward improving workforce health and stabilizing long-term spending. Employers that embrace holistic health today position themselves for stronger resilience, improved productivity, and a more engaged workforce.
Elevate Your Workforce’s Wellbeing Today
Strengthen your self-funded plan with integrative, evidence-based holistic healthcare.
Contact Saffron & Sage at 619-933-2340 to learn more about tailored programs that support physical health, therapy, NAD IV therapy, and organizational wellbeing in San Diego.
Your investment in wellbeing is an investment in long-term performance.