Wellness Programs : Lobby groups take aim at health promotion programs.
Given the enormous growth of wellness programs over the last two years, it was inevitable resistance would creep up among watchdog groups.
In Washington, lobbyists have spearheaded a push for Congress, the DOL and IRS to crack down on “punitive” wellness programs.
Especially, the groups seek to limit health promotion programs in which employees’ share of their health costs are directly tied to their willingness to participate in a health promotion program.
HIPAA’s non-discrimination rules prohibit businesss from building negative financial incentives for workers with health risks.
For instance, you can’t raise someone’s premium share because he or she smokes. What you are able to do is offer a discount if someone completes a tobacco use cessation program.
Reason – the law does allow for financial incentives to staff members who willingly take part in wellness programs.
The watchdog groups seek greater regulation to make certain incentives and discounts are used only as rewards for healthful behavior, not as a thinly veiled form of discrimination against high-risk staff members.
