16 Sep More Employers Using Employee Wellness Incentives

The 16th Annual Towers Watson National Business Group on Health Employer Survey on Purchasing Value in Health Care found that “many employers are taking bold actions, and implementing new health benefit program changes to drive employee and provider accountability.” If you are interested in making a bold move to manage health care costs, you can consider a self-funded health plan that allows you to set parameters for group employee benefits that really work for your business and your staff.

Another way that employers are looking to keep costs in line is by placing some of the responsibility into the hands of employees. Sure, employees have had to cover more costs for their health care, but there are also ways to encourage employees to help lower their own health care costs.

They found that more of the employers surveyed are using wellness incentives and even more have plans to use these incentives in the coming year. Some are rewarding employees for giving up smoking, participating in health-boosting activities and taking part in biometric screening. On the other hand, some are choosing to penalize employees who do not do things like give up smoking, meet targets for weight control or enroll in health-boosting activities. There are even employers who “use a lower-value plan option for employees not fulfilling requirements in health and disease management activities.

Employers remain strongly committed to improving the health of their workforce. Along these lines, many employers are expanding the use of employee incentives to participate in lifestyle coaching, complete biometric screenings and take advantage of other measures (Figure 25, page 15 and Figure 26, page 16 in the report).

Towers Watson notes that more employers are linking benefits, health and productivity by monitoring health programs and looking at results to how they can improve.

Posted by J.P. Farley Corporation