Health and wellness programs are more important than ever. The success of these programs requires more than just good ideas. More than half of all US companies have some sort of health and wellness programs, but there’s a clear decider between the successful and the unsuccessful programs. An article from Fast Company reviewed various health and wellness programs and found that successful wellness programs should be holistic in nature, taking into account every aspect of an employee’s wellness, to include the time when they aren’t at work. Including wellness incentives helps make this possible. With a health and wellness incentive program participants are rewarded for desired health and wellness behaviors. Points-based incentive programs lend themselves well to health incentive programs. For example, participants in a points-based health program could earn points for activities such as putting together a meal plan with a nutritionist, participating in a health screening, attending a company yoga class, setting up mental health sessions, using a step counter to monitor their steps, etc. Those points can then be redeemed in a rewards marketplace for merchandise, gift cards, and other rewards. It’s worth getting your wellness program right. Implementing effective measures will help your bottom line. For […]
Tag: Health and Wellness rewards and incentives
4 Key Laws When Structuring Health and Wellness Programs
Health and wellness incentive programs have major benefits both for employees’ health and in reducing companies’ spending on health care. More and more companies are implementing health and wellness incentive programs every day. When considering the legality surrounding health and wellness incentive programs there are several laws that must be taken into consideration. Here are four examples of some of those laws. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was signed into law in 1967 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. ADEA forbids age-based discrimination against employees and applicants with respect to benefits. As a result of ADEA’s protections, if a wellness program decreases rewards, terminates, or in any other way discriminates against employees who are over 40, the program could be found to be in violation of ADEA. The 2008 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) is an Act of Congress that prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees in regard to compensation, conditions, terms, or privileges of employment on the basis of “genetic information”. GINA’s prohibitions include: An employer must maintain all genetic information as confidential medical records. An employer may not require, request, or purchase genetic information. Any disclosure of genetic information must be subject to strict limits. The […]
Health and Wellness Incentive Plans: Key Laws to Consider
Health and wellness incentive programs have a number of major benefits both to employees health and to companies’ spending on health care. More and more companies are implementing health and wellness incentive programs every day. When implementing a health and wellness incentive program there are several key laws to consider: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law in 2010. PPACA is a federal statute and health care reform legislation. When you are planning your company’s health and wellness incentive program, it is important to consider how it will affect employees’ deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or coverage for any of the services listed in the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC). If your program causes them to vary in any way, that treatment scenario’s calculations must make the assumption that the individual is participating in the wellness program and it will be necessary to include additional language in the SBC. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. ADEA forbids employers from engaging in age-based discrimination against employees and job applicants with […]
Exploring Health and Wellness Program Types. Incentive and Reward Program Series 4
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Reward Incentives That Increase Health and Wellness Program Participation
The impact a health and wellness employee incentive program has on staff performance and overall health is astronomical! So much so that 61% of employees agree that they’ve made healthier lifestyle choices because of their company’s wellness program-Aflac, and a whopping 91% of staff at companies that support well-being efforts say they feel motivated to do their best. –American Psychological Association. A key contributor influencing the outcome of these statistics is the reward selections being offered in the health and wellness incentive program. So how do you know which incentives and rewards will drive better participation and healthier outcomes? Below are three important factors to keep in mind when bringing incentives and rewards into your health and wellness program: Incentive rewards are an essential component when running a successful health and wellness program. They play a vital role in combating declining workforce satisfaction trends. In 1987 a U.S. employee satisfaction rate was 61%, in 2010 a mere 45% were satisfied with their job. Today, 61% of the U.S. population state that they are burned out on their job. –CareerBuilder Don’t let these unfavorable satisfaction statistics affect your next health and wellness program initiative. Creating a successful health and wellness program […]
Top 7 Reasons Why Employees Steer Clear of Health and Wellness Programs and How to Reel Them Back In
Implementing a health and wellness program for your employees is an excellent strategy to engage and motivate employee retention. While these programs can offer great benefits such as health improvements, lowered health insurance costs, and increase productivity, they can also send up a red flag to a potential participating employee to run the other way. Listed below are the top 7 reasons why an employee may avoid a health and wellness program and how to resolve it. Problem: Over worked. Many employees feel work makes them tired, stressed and overworked. It makes sense that the health and wellness message is overlooked, especially when the employer is asking employees to participate in cutting back company costs. Solution: Avoid mentioning the benefits the company will reap and send a clear message that this program is for the employee and their health. *Tip: Offer paid lunches to those who participate in legitimate health care screenings on their lunch. Problem: Upper management doesn’t participate. This should go unsaid, but let’s face it, it’s been done. It gives off that “I can do what I want since I’m a manager vibe” and it can be offputting. When upper management doesn’t have to participate, and they […]
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 […]
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, […]
