Almost two-thirds of corporations with wellness programs offer workers incentives â.” financial or otherwise â.” 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 â.” and a red flag for failure.
Cancer screenings pay off big
Most wellness 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 worker, regardless of his or her age or general health.
In many cases, you can line up certain screenings, such as 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 â.” such as mammograms â.” are well worth the cost.
A single case of cancer identified early typically saves thousands of dollars in medical claims and disability costs â.” not to mention trauma for the worker.
Smart worker health promotion incentives
HIPAA has tricky non-discrimination rules for offering staff a break on premiums or copays. You needn’t worry about 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 staff. for example, when you offer a discount to non-smokers, an employee who recently quit tobacco use must also be eligible.
3. Allow staff members 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? When they’re done right, yes.
Firms offering monetary rewards for wellness typically save about $20 to $50 a month, according to some estimates.
Making health promotion programs simple
Many firms require personnel to work with an individual “health Coach” for earn premium discounts or other incentives. Typically, the employee sets up appointments and reports to the health coach on a regular basis, either by phone or in person.
The good news – the early results are often stimulating.
The bad news – Once personnel realize there’s ongoing effort involved, many lose interest. But many firms have found a simple alternative. Rather than having participants contact the wellness Coach, the wellness coach calls them.
In many cases, this minor health promotion program tweak keep folks on the right track and cuts dropout rates.
Health Promotion begins upstairs
No matter how much money your organization spends on wellness, the odds of success depend largely on the example set by top management.
Example – If your CEO is a smoker, chances are few staff will buy into a use of tobacco cessation program.
In like manner, it’s hard to sell staff on subsidized fitness center memberships if your corporation culture is sedentary. for wellness to work, the top brass must practice what the firm preaches.
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