Wellness Programs

[Guest lemarkley]

Has anyone implemented a wellness program due to the overwhelming increases in health plan costs? We have a self-funded plan and are looking for ways to control costs (as everyone is) and were wondering if wellness/disease management plans work. If you have implemented, how long have they been in place and have you seen significant savings?

[Guest buchanank]

I am the wellness coordinator for our organization. We have had a wellness program for almost 10 years now. We have progressively begun seeing employees become more proactive in their health. We still have not seen it affect sick leave usage etc. The problem we are encountering is administrative support - not just financially but in regards to marketing the events the wellness programs offered. It is IMPERATIVE that you have administration's financial and overall support of your wellness program, otherwise you will feel like you are on an uphill battle at all times. Try to get them involved - not just in the ideas but by participation too (maybe they attend a nutrition class or a health fair). You need that support to truly succeed.

KPB

[Kirk Maldonado]

Make sure that the wellness program is properly structured. It could easily run afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act if not designed right.

[GBurns]

What could a wellness program do that could run afoul of ADA?

[Kirk Maldonado]

Give discounts on health insurance (or other financial incentives) for people that actually lower their blood pressure, cholesterol level. Some people who have disabilities are unable to achieve that.

[GBurns]

I certainly never thought that financial incentives (such as a discount on insurance) for reaching a goal such as reducing cholesterol etc was what anyone meant by a Wellness Program.

lemarkley, buchanank and anyone else,

Would you please explain what you mean by a Wellness Program?

[mroberts]

Wellness programs focus on enhancing the health of an organization's employees through health awareness education, behavior and lifestyle change, and peer support programs. Wellness programs have been found to boost employee health and productivity, reduce absenteeism, and most importantly, trim employees' use of healthcare benefits.

There are many types of wellness programs to choose from such as the following:

Mental health;

Onsite fitness centers;

Prenatal services;

Cardiovascular care; and

Smoking cessation.

A good wellness program should be able to lower health costs in the long run.