Wellness Programs : Health Promotion Program Obstacles.
Almost two-thirds of companies with wellness programs offer employees incentives – financial or otherwise – to participate.
But only one firm in five has seen major improvement in employees’ health status (and lower costs) within two years of launching the incentive. Here are three keys to getting good results – and a red flag for failure.
Cancer screenings pay off big
Most health promotion programs feature health-risk assessments for things like high cholesterol and diabetes. But many overlook the need for early detection of cancer, which may affect any employee, regardless of his or her age or general health.
In many cases, you can line up certain screenings, like skin cancer detection (the most common type of cancer and, in its early stages, the most easily treated) for free or at a nominal cost.
These resources are often available through community agencies or the American Cancer Society. More involved and expensive screenings – such as mammograms – are well worth the cost.
A single case of cancer identified early usually saves thousands of dollars in medical claims and disability costs – not to mention trauma for the worker.
Smart worker health promotion incentives
Medical Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has tricky non-discrimination rules for offering employees a break on premiums or copays. You needn’t worry about health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) when you –
1. Structure the wellness program as a cost-break for employees who embrace wellness. on the flip side, imposing surcharges for uncooperative employees can force you to jump through health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) hoops.
2. Make the incentive available to all workforce. for instance, when you offer a discount to non-smokers, an staff member who recently quit use of tobacco must also be eligible.
3. Allow workers who fail to earn the incentive to have another shot at it next plan year.
Bottom line – Make the financial incentive a reward, not a punishment. Do the incentives work? If they’re done right, yes.
Firms offering monetary rewards for wellness ordinarily save about $20 to $50 a month, according to some estimates.
Making health promotion programs simple
A lot of firms require workforce to work with an individual “wellness Coach” for earn premium discounts or other incentives. Generally, the employee sets up appointments and reports to the wellness coach on a regular basis, either by phone or in individuals.
The good news – the early results are often encouraging.
The bad news – Once staff realize there’s ongoing effort involved, many lose interest. But many firms have found a simple alternative. Rather than having participants contact the health Coach, the health coach calls them.
In many cases, this minor wellness program tweak keep folks on the right track and cuts dropout rates.
Wellness begins upstairs
No matter how much money your company spends on wellness, the odds of success depend largely on the example set by top management.
Example – When your CEO is a smoker, chances are few workers will buy into a tobacco use cessation program.
In like manner, it’s hard to sell personnel on subsidized health and fitness center memberships if your corporation culture is sedentary. for wellness to work, the top brass must practice what the firm preaches.
