Are wellness plans worth it? Theshort answer: absolutely. But, it's not so cut and dry.

A couple of years ago, we switched from a voluntaryincentives-based wellness program to what we currently implement.Back then, although completely voluntary, employees had toparticipate in a minimum number of wellness objectives to beeligible for the maximum contribution towards their medicalpremium.

Not surprisingly, participation in our wellness program wasrelatively high. The issue with linking employee participation inwellness activities with cheaper insurance rates, though, is thatyou run into things employees can deem “unfair,” i.e., the idea thecompany is “forcing” physical activity upon its employees in orderto catch a monetary break in their insurance.

Now, our current wellness program is still completely voluntary,but there is no longer an incentive to participate becauseparticipation is no longer tied to insurance discounts. Thus, ourmain challenge lies in engagement rather than implementation.

We find that it's the same employees participating in thewellness activities we offer, and those people are usually the onesthat are active on their own without the needed “motivation” fromour initiatives. That being said, we consistently consider whatemployees want in a wellness program through a company-widewellness survey, and we are constantly discussing ideas that wouldspeak to the masses.

Lindsay Khan,
WellnessCoordinator
Four Winds Interactive

The business case for health and wellness programsis clear. These programs can significantly reduce employees' healthrisks, which impact health care costs, productivity, and quality oflife. Companies that invest in a culture of health havesignificantly outperformed the S&P 500 Index, according to arecent study published by the American College of Occupational andEnvironmental Medicine.

Recently, we've seen a shift in employers' thinking about howthey perceive and value wellness programs. Increasingly, employersrecognize the importance of employee total well-being, so they arebuilding wellness strategies around not only physical health, butfinancial and emotional health as well.

Additionally, they view the value of wellness programs along acontinuum in which cost containment is just one small component.Other parts of the value chain include improved health, betterproductivity and presenteeism, stronger business performance, andenhanced employee well-being.

As employers become more interested in metrics besides healthcost savings, we need access to more data, and we must startconnecting that data to wellness programs. For example, Optum hasmoved away from the traditional health risk assessment. We now callit a “health survey” because it includes questions for employeesabout their quality of life, social connectedness, productivity,and ability to navigate the health care system.  

As for results, programs such as wellness coaching havedelivered. Among Optum members who completed wellness coaching, 58percent quit or reduced their use of tobacco by 50 percent or more,56 percent lost weight (an average of 10–13 pounds) and 46 percentreduced their stress levels. Employees using Optum's employeeassistance program, which provides consultations with behavioralhealth professionals, had a 63 percent decrease in days absent.

At a national financial services company, nearly 40 percent ofemployees who underwent a telephonic wellness coaching programreported lifestyle improvements — weight loss, increased exercise,reduced stress, better nutrition, and tobacco cessation. The firm'semployees missed fewer days of work due to illness than during theprevious year, and reported higher satisfaction with their jobs andoverall quality of life.

Wellness programs can drive much more than enhanced physicalwellness. The goal should be higher performance. We advise clientsthat these programs should be viewed as more than a costcontainment tactic. Rather, such programs need to be part of theirbroader business strategy, which includes improving employeesatisfaction and growing revenues.

Seth Serxner,
PhD, MPH, Chief Health Officer
Optum

As the decades change and we progress into the 21st century, ourculture is obviously evolving. Overall, the mindset of ourgeneration is taking a major shift. We are becoming enamored withthe concept of efficiency. I will always remember my grandparentsbragging about how they “never went to the doctor in over 60years.”

Oftentimes, I hear sentiments like this repeated by my ownparents, who also have an aversion to visiting the doctor. Frankly,this is dangerous and represents a mindset of a former, primitiveculture. To me, comparatively, it's on par with using a pager inplace of a cell phone.

It is a sad fact that each year, millions of people arediagnosed with an array of life-altering diseases that disrupttheir whole means of existence. In so many cases, the effects ofthe illness could have been significantly mitigated or eliminatedaltogether if someone found something during a routine screeningtest.

Now I must acknowledge, some people do go to the doctor eachyear and take advantage of the benefits of their workplace wellnessprogram. But the sad reality is, the percentage of people whoactually follow through year after year are very low. One mustthink, how, in 2016, the same year that self-driving cars arestarting to hit the roads, are people simply neglecting to do thelittle things to maintain their own health?

It takes a lot to overcome a very real engrained fear; however,there is one trump card that has been found to provide a solution.The solution boils down to another fundamental way of life:materialism. There is no question, people are motivated byincentive. The human brain is wired to acquire, to make oneselfrich.

Wellness programs fall shortwhen the incentive isn't worth the pain of triumphing an unpleasantcause. Medical tests, check-ups, and preventative screenings areoften associated with anxiety, and stress. Nobody would want to gothrough that … unless they felt the benefit was worth thereward.

A very slim minority have the wherewithal to realize their ownhealth is the actual incentive. But think about how an extrahundred dollars would change the minds of many about sittingthrough a check-up. One hundred bucks for a half-hour process? Allof the sudden, a working man making 15 bucks an hour is makingalmost one full day's salary in 1/16th of the time. That sells.That's how you lead an effective wellness program. If nobodyparticipates, it's not worth it. Make it worth it.

Michael P. Crispi,
Associate Regional SalesManager
Allstate Benefits