UBA Announces New Resources for Employers Covering the Latest Trends and Legal Requirements for Wellness Programs

Two-thirds of employers believe that good benefits increase employee productivity, according to the 2016 United Benefit Advisors Benefits Opinion Survey of employers. Given the ever increasing cost of health care, UBA finds that one of the best long-term cost-containment strategies available to employers today is an effective wellness program that strives to keep low-risk individuals from becoming high-risk, and helps high-risk individuals reduce their need for medical services.

UBA finds that wellness programs have evolved substantially since they first appeared on the market, and today announces a new Whitepaper: Wellness Programs — Good for You & Good for Your Organization, to educate employers about the latest trends in wellness program success.

“Wellness programs were initially tacked on to an employee’s benefits and consisted of just the basics — physical activity, nutrition, and smoking cessation,” says Travis Horne, MBA, and Director of Health & Well-Being at Massachusetts-based UBA Partner Firm, Borislow Insurance.

“But there’s been a shift: the new thought is that it’s more important to target the solution for a client, rather than just putting something fun in place,” says Horne. “Employers are taking the holistic view of the employee so that there is meaningful change. Basically, there are five different elements — physical, financial, workplace, community, and mind/spirit. Some employers may only focus on three, but the majority focus on all five elements in order to create a culture of health & wellbeing, change unhealthy behaviors and develop a sustainable wellness program.”

According to UBA, some of the latest wellness program trends, include:

• Comprehensive health evaluations and physician verification forms to identify (and provide early interventions to) chronic conditions before they become catastrophic
• On-site health clinics
• Wellness committees made up of both healthy and unhealthy employees

In UBA’s new Whitepaper: Wellness Programs — Good for You & Good for Your Organization, readers will learn which aspects of wellness programs are finding the most success and the most critical five steps to making any wellness program work.

Download UBA’s Whitepaper: Wellness Programs — Good for You & Good for Your Organization, athttps://bit.ly/wellness-whitepaper.

Compliance Advisor: Understanding Wellness Programs and their Legal Requirements

One of the main reasons employers are slow to adopt wellness programs is a lack of time and resources, startup costs, and not knowing the legal requirements, finds UBA.

The new Affordable Care Act (ACA) Compliance Advisor paper from UBA, “Understanding Wellness Programs and Their Legal Requirements,” reviews the five most critical questions that wellness program sponsors should ask and work through to determine the obligations of their wellness program under the ACA, HIPAA, ADA, GINA, and ERISA, as well as considerations for wellness programs that involve tobacco use in any way. With over 20 pages of comprehensive guidance, examples and frequently asked questions, this is an invaluable employer resource.

Download the UBA Compliance Advisor, Understanding Wellness Programs and their Legal Requirements at https://bit.ly/wellness-requirements (free registration required).

“Employers are starting to recognize that promoting healthy behavior internally is also a way to educate and change behavior at home and in families,” says Les McPhearson, CEO of UBA. “When it comes to reducing health care premium costs, wellness is one area that employers cannot afford to ignore.”