All Digital Rewards understand the importance of a high-quality health and wellness incentive program in increasing workplace wellbeing and improving company efficiency. There are four main options for health and wellness incentive programs. We have discussed types 1, 2, and 3 in our previous posts in our Exploring Health and Wellness Program Types. Incentive and Reward Program Series. In this post, we will be reviewing Type 4 health and wellness incentive programs. Type 4 Health Plan-Related Outcome-Based Programs are available to individuals enrolled in the sponsoring company’s health plan. Rewards are earned based on meeting certain program-specific desired outcomes required by the company’s health and wellness program. These outcomes could include things like reaching a certain BMI level or quitting smoking, which could be rewarded with a reduction in an employee’s health care contributions. Type 4 programs often include a tobacco cessation program. Health screenings are often required at the onset of a Type 4 health and wellness program in order to establish a baseline for the participants and to allow for easy progress tracking as the program progresses. As is the case for all health and wellness incentive programs, Type 4 programs are required to ensure that there is […]
Category: Healthcare
Creating Healthier Outcomes in Health Plan Related Participatory Programs
Health and wellness incentive and rewards programs have consistently proved useful in engaging behaviors that improving health, moral, and efficiency in the workplace. However, there are legal issues that organizations must consider when planning out a Health Participatory programs. Navigating the rules and regulations of a health and wellness incentive program may seem daunting, but in most cases, a health and wellness incentive provider would tell you that the primary legal requirements can be summed up in five general rules. The five general rules for health and wellness incentive programs included: When creating a health and wellness incentive program, one of the requirements you will have to meet will be ensuring that your rewards and incentives do not exceed the maximum amount legally allowable for the participant. In other words, your rewards will have to stay below a certain percentage of coverage cost. Both the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) have specific rules that are related to the maximum reward allowed. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the maximum reward for a health and wellness program is limited to 30% of the cost of employee-only coverage. The 30% includes both financial […]
Exploring Health and Wellness Program Types. Incentive and Reward Program Series I
Many employers seek to foster a healthy, productive workplace using a health and wellness incentive program. These incentive programs have proved to be highly effective in creating a healthier workplace and boosting employee morale. An important part of any health and wellness rewards program is navigating the laws and regulations that are applicable to your particular program and whether or not there is a need to apply technology for the reward incentive management and the help of an incentive provider for the management and distribution of the program. Employers usually choose one of four main types of health and wellness programs when creating their incentive programs. Each program has different features, legal requirements and to keep in mind. In our health and wellness compliance blog series we will explore each of these four main program types. In this first blog of our series, we will be discussing Type 1 Programs: General Educational or Participatory & not Health Plan-Related Incentive Program. Programs that fall under Type 1 focus on educating their employees or offering participation-based programs that are not part of the company’s health care plan. An important thing with these programs is that they are voluntary in nature. These programs […]
Is Your Health and Wellness Incentive Program Compliant?
A health and wellness incentive program can significantly contribute to a healthier and more productive workplace. When designing a quality health and wellness incentive program, and thinking about utilizing rewards and incentives as part of your program, it is essential to ensure that your program is compliant with all legal requirements applicable to your particular type of health and wellness incentive program. There are four main types of health and wellness programs we are going to review in this article. Each type of health and wellness program has its unique features and various applicable laws. The four program types we will be considering include: General educational or informational programs are designed in such a way as to provide general health education and information to employees and, on occasion, their families. These voluntary programs make educational information available to employees without requiring the employee to access the information or engage in an activity. These general education programs are not individually tailored to employees, and they do not provide any medical care. Participatory programs that are not health plan-related are created with the intent of encouraging employees and occasionally family members to make healthy lifestyle choices, but they do more than merely […]
Start The New Year With a Winning Wellness Program
It’s that time, setting better intentions for ourselves to get healthy. Whether it be going to the gym more or eating better, which are literally the top two resolutions the general public gravitates towards, and we’ve got the research to prove it (see the infographic below)! But let’s get to the nitty-gritty of why 2018 is the year to cultivate a winning wellness program. Source: Accelerant Research As the wellness industry continues to evolve (now grossing a whopping $6 billion), it’s becoming more transparent, and providing more information that is readily available for the general population, we can see now how important health and wellness plays in our daily lives, not only for current state of well being, but there is proven research that shows increase in work productivity/performance, less stress-more happiness, and life longevity. So many wonderful benefits and a better quality of life can be achieved with a simple health and wellness program, and the working men and women are taking notice. “More than three-quarters of job seekers say benefits are “very important” when considering a job offer, and 69% say they might choose one job over another if it offered better benefits.”-Source: Spring Buk. Which is why […]
15 Great Health and Wellness Incentive Program Ideas
To craft a successful health and wellness program, a participating company must establish a healthy culture and continue to motivate their participants. The overall goal of a health and wellness program is to embrace and cultivate a healthy lifestyle, and to do so the participating company must create a healthy culture. Below we have listed 15 incentive program ideas that help promote a healthy environment but be mindful that implementing these helpful tips doesn’t stop there. A company must have a well thought out strategy in order to keep your employees motivated in a health and wellness program. Flex Benefits Credits Half a Year Membership to Weight Watchers or a Local Fitness Studio Per Year Following Active Participation Drawings for iPads, Travel, Gift Cards, Smart TVs, FitBits, Fitness Equipment, Merchandise Recognition and Celebratory Events Up to x Amount of Dollars Per Couple Into an Additional HRA Fund Upon Completion, a $100 Reward For an Accomplished HRA, Health Screening, and Health Report With Action Plan Up to $1,000 towards an HRA Drawing For a Full Day of PTO Upon Completion of the Health Assessment Health Cash Points For Employees and Their Significant Other If They Have Continually Engaged In The Wellness […]
Guide To A Successful Health and Wellness Incentive Program
No health and wellness incentive promotion is foolproof without the proper wellness program strategy. It doesn’t have to be a complicated process as long as you cover the basics when setting up or making changes to an existing program. First and foremost, without a sufficient amount of participants in the program, the results will be less than adequate. It is fundamental to your program to ensure proper planning is met to increase participation in your health and wellness program. Listed below are a few basics to help guide you to boost participation rates for your health and wellness platform. -You need a well designed and thought out program where candidates can reach their goals. -The more candidates, the better. Allow sufficient amount of time to build up interest (several weeks or so) for your health and wellness program. A string of educational information and announcements released over the course of your build up period will peak interest. Examples include: -Use a visual presentation -Demonstrate a few examples -Pass out questionnaires and enrollment packets for those who would like to enroll on the spot -If applicable, prepare testimonies for those who have already participated in the program Create a small market […]
Which Incentives Work Best When Setting Up a Health And Wellness Program: Carrots or Sticks?
A successful wellness program is more about how you frame your program whether you’re using disincentives or incentives. You win the toss either way with improved health and wellness, along with reduced health care costs for all because of overall improved employee wellness. What do you need to consider when using carrots and sticks as incentives in your program? The industry culture of an organization may be a contributing factor worth considering. Employees who work in environments where conformity is not valued but creativity is, will mostly likely respond better to carrots and sticks framed as being “good for them” (vs. “do this or else”). Employees who work in bottom-line-focused or highly regulated industries, such as finance, or retail might be used to firm management directives. So, it might be in your organization’s best interest to test a mix of carrots and sticks to see what will work best with your people and change up your message and the delivery. Distribution and timing of the incentives and disincentives also are important factors. It’s human nature to desire immediate benefits and delayed costs. (Hello, zero-money-down deals!) Sometimes, you may want to consider disguise your carrots as sticks to have the […]
10 Great Ways to Energize Your Health and Wellness Program
Are you looking to develop a health and wellness incentive program for your organization? Today’s loyalty program space is pretty vast, offering a broad range of participation incentives including prizes, cash, sell this get this, trips, etc. Developing a program with all the right components is essential to capture the attention of your employees and transform them into willing participants. How can you develop a wellness program that benefits your employees while saving the company money? Seems impossible, right? Wrong. Health and wellness employee incentive programs are thriving in today’s health conscious world. Organizations are hitching their wagons to this trend and becoming leaders in promoting preventative health care among their staff and efficiently lowering their insurance burden. By offering a variety of participation incentives that are health-related will not only promote self-care and an overall healthy lifestyle, but it also saves some bucks in the long run! Health care costs are higher than ever, but an excellent way to reduce workplace downtime, increase productivity and save money is to offer your staff a health and wellness program, which reduces overall healthcare costs. Another important consideration in developing a program is understanding that it isn’t just about offering participation incentives, […]
Best Practices for Workplace Health and Wellness Incentive Programs
Understanding what you can and cannot do with participation incentives with the enforcement of the Affordable Health Care Act can be a slippery slope if you are not well informed. The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury have revised the rules on wellness programs to reflect the changes and clarifications to the existing health and wellness provisions made by the health care law. What does that mean to you? Simple. It is more important than ever, to understand what changes have taken place (and stay current) when developing and revising a health and wellness program in group health coverage. Is it been appropriately designed, and does it protect your participants? These discounts represent two significant differences from most wellness incentives once offered by employers and health plans: the incentives are now focused on outcomes rather than participation, and the magnitude of the discount is much greater. Here are some rules to consider: It is important to protect consumers from unfair practices; regulations are in place to require health-contingent wellness programs to follow certain rules, including: Whether you are a self-insured company or a health and wellness provider, there are published rules that specify the types […]
