Top Five Employee Wellness Program for 2019

Top Five Employee Wellness Program for 2019

All businesses today are aware that a healthy workforce translates to a happier and more productive employees.  Nearly a quarter of participants in SHRM’s latest benefits survey plan to increase their Health & Wellness benefits, whose percentage was a higher than other categories such as professional and career development, flexible work schedules, retirement and family-friendly policies. One unusual offering, workstations that allow people to stand, soared to 44% from just 13% in 2013 when the data was first tracked.

Helping your employees strive towards physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual well-being can lead to increased productivity and employee longevity. But how can you offer wellness programs that your employees will actually use and find beneficial? There’s no one size fits all solution, and the best way to get started is to invite employee input. Need some inspiration? Here are 5 employee wellness programs that might be the right fit for your company this coming year:

1. Online Wellness/Health Screening

Did you know many health nurses today pay your employees to take an online health risk assessment? Covered members receive a lump sum benefit payment once a year if they complete certain health-related activities (i.e. routine screenings, programs like smoking cessation and weight reduction, and more). Payment options range from $50 to $150. Empire Blue Cross, for example, pays up to $300 for this including smoking cessation online questionnaire and a flu vaccination.

2. Gym Reimbursements

You might not be able to build a gym at the office, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of your neighborhood businesses. Did you know most health care compare today offer up to $400 annual gym reimbursement? Most include a $200 spousal gym reimbursement as well.

3. Start a Walking Group

This solution is easy, free, and can be employee-driven. Failing to take breaks leads to burnout and eventually employee resentment. Encourage employees to take frequent breaks, but not just to the break room for more artificial lighting and a caffeine boost. Rally eager employees to lead morning, lunch, and/or after-work walking groups. The fresh air is energizing, boosts creativity, and helps feed social wellness needs, too.

4. Create a Healthy Challenge That Isn’t Based on Numbers

Although some businesses have success with Biggest Loser-style in-office challenges, it can also trigger disordered eating. Instead of focusing on numbers, focus on more subjective goals—like how many consecutive days fresh, local fresh vegetables can be part of a lunch. Kicking off these challenges with a brief intro to the importance of a healthy diet for life can help employees re-think their choices.

5. Seek Help from Outside Resources

There are several organizations that employers can turn to for information, research and guidance on wellness programs. Below are just a few for you to explore for helpful ideas on how to develop a culture of health in your organization.

HERO is a national non-profit dedicated to identifying and sharing best practices in the field of workplace health and well-being (HWB). Their mission is to improve the health and well-being of workers, their spouses, dependents and retirees. Check out the wealth of information on their site, including research studies and a blog.

The Health Project is a tax-exempt not-for-profit corporation formed to bring about critical attitudinal and behavioral changes in addressing the health and well-being of Americans. The Health Project focuses on improving personal health care practices and supporting population health by reaching adults where they spend most of their waking hours: at work. Many organizations have adopted health promotion (wellness) programs that encourage good health habits and improved understanding of how individual workers and their families can more effectively use health services.

Harvard Health Newsletters are free newsletters targeted to individuals with the purpose of providing educational information to help them invest in their own health or the health of their families.

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Health & Wellness

Health & Wellness

Health & Wellness

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Your employees are your most vital asset, and while you can’t fully control their lifestyles, you can encourage healthier eating habits and positive wellness. Businesses that invest in the well-being of their employees often see an increase in retention, job satisfaction, and productivity.

Health_and_wellness_programs_Benefits

The data is quite clear that Health & Wellness plans pay for themselves.

Although employers continue to use cost shifting to control health insurance expenses, many companies are also making wellness programs part of the overall strategy to keep costs down by keeping staff members healthy.“Our entire health care system is organized around treating diseases after they occur, not preventing them before they occur. We need a paradigm shift that places prevention at the center of our health priorities.” – Lynn C. Swann, Chairman, President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

One survey of 365 companies found that 62 percent have implemented wellness programs as a long-term investment to improve employees’ health. Of these companies, about two-thirds cited rising health care costs as a “major factor” in the decision to sponsor a program, and the other third responded that finances played “some role” in the decision.

In another survey, 80 percent of business executives said the best way to reduce health care costs is to provide financial incentives for employees to lead healthier lifestyles.

At the top of the list of wellness initiatives are health risk assessments, followed by smoking cessation programs. The surveyed companies also offered:

  • Health risk assessments – 61 percent  
  • Smoking cessation programs – 56 percent
  • On-site workout facilities – 50 percent
  • Employee diet groups – 48 percent
  • Adding healthier foods to the cafeteria menu – 48 percent
  • Subsidized gym programs – 43 percent
  • Allowing employees to use time during the workday to exercise – 27 percent
  • Diet counseling – 27 percent
  • Other initiatives, such as free flu shots, healthier vending machine choices, wellness Web sites, and on-site massages – 32 percent

Almost half of the companies with wellness programs offered employees incentives to participate, such as cash payments, reduced medical co-payments, rebates on wellness program costs, gift certificates and prizes.

While the surveys cited above focused on large companies, small and midsize businesses are also offering wellness initiatives. The National Federation of Independent Business reports that more than 80 percent of businesses with 50 or more employees have implemented some type of wellness program.

Most companies acknowledge that the payoff won’t come immediately. Employers were asked, “Do you believe that helping employees lead healthier lifestyles will make a noticeable difference to the company’s health care costs?” Eighty percent of respondents said “Yes, but it will take a while to see results.” Only four percent expected immediate improvement. Another 14 percent thought an impact on health care costs was a possibility, but said they had other reasons for participating.

The actual financial savings a company will realize from a wellness initiative is impossible to predict. It depends on the type of program and extent of employee participation. Of course, participation can be affected by factors such as incentives to join, awareness of the initiatives, and how the employer supports the program.

Keep in mind that wellness programs can do more for a company than just contain health insurance costs. Healthier employees are likely to be more productive, have fewer absences, and have better attitudes towards their jobs. Sponsorship of wellness programs can also enhance a company’s recruitment efforts and improve its image in the community.

Final Wellness Incentive Rule Released

Final Wellness Incentive Rule Released

Corporate Wellness

 

Final Wellness Incentive Rule Released.  Final rules set forth the criteria for wellness programs offered in connection with group health plans that must be satisfied in order for the plan to qualify for an exception to the prohibition on discrimination based on health status under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The final rules will be effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014.

Many employers already offered incentives for employees participating in wellness programs. The main change in the new rule is an increase in the maximum incentive levels for several PPACA designated programs. For smoking cessation efforts, employers will be allowed to offer a reward or penalty of up to 50% of an employee’s health plan cost. For all other wellness programs, the number will be 30%, up from the current 20%. These increases are intended to promote healthy behavior which in turn, advocates claim, reduce health care spending.

Key Highlights 
Significant provisions included in the final rules include:

Increasing the maximum permissible reward under a health-contingent wellness program, from 20% to 30% of the cost of coverage;

  • Further increasing the maximum permissible reward for wellness programs designed to prevent or reduce tobacco use, from 20% to 50% of the cost of coverage; and
  • Clarifications regarding the reasonable design of health-contingent wellness programs and the reasonable alternatives they must offer in order to avoid prohibited discrimination.

Types of  Participatory Wellness Programs
The final rules continue to divide wellness programs into two categories:popluar-wellness-stats

1)”participatory wellness programs,” which are a majority of wellness programs,

2)and “health-contingent wellness programs.”

A participatory wellness program is one that either does not provide a reward or does not include any conditions for obtaining a reward that are based on an individual satisfying a standard related to a health factor. These include programs that reimburse for the cost of membership in a fitness center; provide a reward to employees for attending a monthly, no-cost health education seminar; or reward employees who complete a health risk assessment, without requiring them to take further action.

Participatory wellness programs are generally permissible under the HIPAA nondiscrimination rules, provided they are available to all similarly situated individuals regardless of health status.

Health-Contingent Wellness Programs
In contrast, a health-contingent wellness program requires an individual to satisfy a standard related to a health factor to obtain a reward. This standard may be performing or completing an activity (an “activity-only wellness program”), or it may be attaining or maintaining a specific health outcome (an “outcome-based wellness program”).

Examples of health-contingent wellness programs include programs that provide a reward to those who do not use, or decrease their use of, tobacco, or programs that reward those who achieve a specified health-related goal, such as a specified cholesterol level, weight, or body mass index, as well as those who fail to meet such goals but take certain other healthy actions.

In order to qualify for an exception to the HIPAA nondiscrimination rules, health-contingent wellness programs must meet five additional standards related to frequency of opportunity to qualify; size of the reward; reasonable design; uniform availability and reasonable alternative standards; and notice of the availability of reasonable alternative standards.

Example

The final rule provides an example of how this reward/penalty might work:

An employer sponsors a group health plan. The annual premium for employee-only coverage is $6,000 (of which the employer pays $4,500 per year and the employee pays $1,500 per year). The plan offers employees a health-contingent wellness program with several components, focused on exercise, blood sugar, weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure.  The reward for compliance is an annual premium rebate of $600…[T]he plan also imposes an additional $2,000 tobacco premium surcharge on employees who have used tobacco in the last 12 months and who have not enrolled in the plan’s tobacco cessation program (Those who participate…are not assessed the $2,000 surcharge).

The total of all the rewards (including the absence of a surcharge for participating in the tobacco program) is $2,600…which does not exceed the applicable percentage of 50% of the total annual cost of employee-only coverage ($6,000 x 50%=$3,000). Tested separately, the $600 reward for the wellness program [excluding] tobacco use does not exceed the applicable percentage of 30 percent of the total annual cost of employee-only coverage ($6,000 x 30%=$1,800).

In excellent article in the Atlantic – The Future of Getting Paid to Be Healthy  “Incentive programs are not wellness programs,” said Dr. Ronald Goetzel, Director of Emory University’s Institute for Health and Productivity Research and President and CEO of The Health Project. “That can be a component, when done smartly, of a comprehensive program, but if that’s all your program is going to be, you’re going to fail miserably, and people are going to be resentful,” he explained. According to Goetzel — who has studied worksite wellness programs at large corporations such as Dow Chemical and Johnson & Johnson, and is being funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study best practices in the field — incentive programs can help get people excited about health and keep them on track, but ultimately people’s habits will only change if they are given the resources to change them and if the workplace norms and environments change.

Without the other pieces to facilitate behavior change — healthy cafeterias, opportunities to exercise, flexible work hours, supportive leadership and middle managers, and health risk assessments and coaching — incentive programs will only penalize, not change, those who are least healthy.

For more information, you may review the final rules in their entirety.  For MMS Corp previous blogs on wellness, click here. we will keep you posted on future PPACA wellness program opportunities.  In the meantime, please visit  to view past blogs and Legislative Alerts at https://360peo.com/feed.

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The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinions of MMS Corp. This update is provided for informational purposes. Please consult with a licensed accountant or attorney regarding any legal and tax matters discussed herein.

Snow and Wellness

Snow and Wellness

winter

Oh no its snowing!! For the lucky ones not going into work or school today you are likely hunkering down waiting for the 18 inch NY blizzard to pass.  Unlike hibernating Bears, Mother Nature does not give you the gift of slowing down your metabolism.

How can snow and wellness go together? How to to prevent cabin fever and weight gain?

1  Water sport in winter. Water guns can be a fun winter activity in the snow as well. Simply mix some kool-aid or food coloring with some water and fill the guns with the liquid dye. Spray the snow with the water guns to create pictures and words. This is a fun project for multiple people, and it will prove that water guns are fun all year round.

2. Work out in front of TV.  Just 15 minutes of sit-ups, jumping jacks, push-ups and squats can burn 200 calories.

3. Play video games.  No not the sedentary kind you’re thinking.  Hit the Wii or X-Box Kinect virtual motion games that get you going such as Dance Revolution, Kinect Sport, Punch Out, and Wii Fit Plus.

4. Vitameatavegamin.  Lucy Ricardo was onto something, using foods and vitamins play a role in mood.

  • Boost Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin”,  with light therapy, 20-30 min of sunshine 3 -5 days a week or daily Vitamin D supplements.
  • Animal Protein – increasing depression fighting tryptophans found in lean meats such as poultry, eggs and wild seafood.
  • Selenium –  low levels of selenium are also associated with an increased risk of depression. Serve Brazil Nuts at the next Football party.

5.  Altruism –  Volunteer for Meals for WheelsYes helping others chemically changes neurotransmitters associated with positive feelings, decreasing anxiety and worry, and making people feel stronger and more energetic.

6. Fun Recipe from http://asjulesisgoing.com/snow-ice-cream-recipe-thoughtful-thursday/snow-ice-cream-recipe/

Snow Ice Cream

1 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
clean snow
Beat egg; add milk, sugar and salt. Mix together well. Add enough snow to make it thick.

Shorter, darker days can cause winter blues but evidentially snow and ice cream bring smiles. Now if I can only  get up to doing push-ups to Downtown Abbey.

New Proposed Rules for Wellness Programs

New Proposed Rules for Wellness Programs

New Proposed Rules for Wellness Programsweights.pngIn another step forward to  ncentivize wellness new proposal can give discounts for managing good health much like good drivers with auto insurance.New proposed rules issued under Health Care Reform address certain amendments to the nondiscrimination requirements for group health plans offering a wellness program to comply with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).Specifically, the proposed rules would increase the maximum permissible reward under a wellness program that requires an individual to satisfy a standard based on a health factor in order to obtain a reward, from 20% to 30% of the cost of coverage (and to 50% for programs designed to prevent or reduce tobacco use). The rules also include other proposed clarifications regarding the requirements for such wellness programs to avoid prohibited discrimination, including reasonable design and reasonable alternatives that must be offered for individuals to obtain the reward.Other Proposed Rules Released Under Health Care Reform
Separately, new proposed rules have been issued for health insurance companies regarding the law’s requirements related to guaranteed availability of coverage and essential health benefits.

  • Under one set of proposed rules, issuers offering non-grandfathered health insurance coverage in the individual or group market would be required to accept every individual and employer that applies for coverage, with limited exceptions. Issuers in the individual and small group markets would be allowed to vary premiums within limits, only based on age, tobacco use, family size, and geography.
  • Another set of proposed rules outline issuer standards related to coverage of “essential health benefits.” Essential health benefits are a core set of items and services that must be covered by non-grandfathered plans in the individual and small group markets beginning in 2014.

While its always been known a healthy living for employees makes a productive employee.  Large businesses have benefited from a healthy work force as they can better afford programs and have a direct rate reduction in rates.

Although employers continue to use cost shifting to control health insurance expenses, many companies are also making wellness programs part of the overall strategy to keep costs down by keeping staff members healthy.“Our entire health care system is organized around treating diseases after they occur, not preventing them before they occur. We need a paradigm shift that places prevention at the center of our health priorities.” – Lynn C. Swann, Chairman, President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

The new proposed rules would apply for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014. An overview of the proposed rules is available on Healthcare.gov. Our Summary by Year offers updates on other requirements related to Health Care Reform.

Employee Wellness Boosts Productivity

Employee Wellness Boosts Productivity

 Employee Wellness Boosts Productivity

Companies in the Salt Lake City area know productivity is higher and health costs are lower when employees have ways to exercise and reduce stress during the work day, whether it is using a company gym, eating healthier in the cafeteria or taking regular breaks. A study to be published in Population Health Management says “presenteeism,” which means people coming to work with physical or emotional problems, reduces productivity. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Some of the most popular wellness services offered are providing resources and information at 76 percent, giving onsite seasonal fluvaccinations at 54 percent and hosting health fairs at 42 percent. Other wellness efforts include health and lifestyle coaching at 37 percent, health screening at 39 percent and smoking cessation programs at 34 percent.

Considering that obesity and other chronic health issues continue to impact the well-being of employees and an employer’s bottom line, more respondents on a national level are offering lower health care premiums for getting an annual health risk assessment and not using tobacco according to surveys.  The ROI on wellness is starting to pay – wellness plans pay for itself.

Resource:

Wellness Section

Final Wellness Incentive Rule Released

Yoga improves health and reduces costs

Best Foods to Boost Immunity

For more information, you may review the final rules in their entirety.  For MMS Corp previous blogs on wellness, click here. we will keep you posted on future PPACA wellness program opportunities.  In the meantime, please visit  to view past blogs and Legislative Alerts at https://360peo.com/feed.

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The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinions of MMS Corp. This update is provided for informational purposes. Please consult with a licensed accountant or attorney regarding any legal and tax matters discussed herein.

Health & Wellness

Health & Wellness

Aetna’s Community Vitality.com. – You can find games, videos and a fitness tracker to help the whole family get moving more. Aetna and Magic Johnson Enterprises have a game plan for you.

The data is quite clear that Wellness plans pay for themselves.

Although employers continue to use cost shifting to control health insurance expenses, many companies are also making wellness programs part of the overall strategy to keep costs down by keeping staff members healthy.“Our entire health care system is organized around treating diseases after they occur, not preventing them before they occur. We need a paradigm shift that places prevention at the center of our health priorities.” – Lynn C. Swann, Chairman, President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

One survey of 365 companies found that 62 percent have implemented wellness programs as a long-term investment to improve employees’ health. Of these companies, about two-thirds cited rising health care costs as a “major factor” in the decision to sponsor a program, and the other third responded that finances played “some role” in the decision.

In another survey, 80 percent of business executives said the best way to reduce health care costs is to provide financial incentives for employees to lead healthier lifestyles.

At the top of the list of wellness initiatives are health risk assessments, followed by smoking cessation programs. The surveyed companies also offered:

  • Health risk assessments – 61 percent
  • Smoking cessation programs – 56 percent
  • On-site workout facilities – 50 percent
  • Employee diet groups – 48 percent
  • Adding healthier foods to the cafeteria menu – 48 percent
  • Subsidized gym programs – 43 percent
  • Allowing employees to use time during the workday to exercise – 27 percent
  • Diet counseling – 27 percent
  • Other initiatives, such as free flu shots, healthier vending machine choices, wellness Web sites, and on-site massages – 32 percent

Almost half of the companies with wellness programs offered employees incentives to participate, such as cash payments, reduced medical co-payments, rebates on wellness program costs, gift certificates and prizes.

While the surveys cited above focused on large companies, small and midsize businesses are also offering wellness initiatives. The National Federation of Independent Business reports that more than 80 percent of businesses with 50 or more employees have implemented some type of wellness program.

Most companies acknowledge that the payoff won’t come immediately. Employers were asked, “Do you believe that helping employees lead healthier lifestyles will make a noticeable difference to the company’s health care costs?” Eighty percent of respondents said “Yes, but it will take a while to see results.” Only four percent expected immediate improvement. Another 14 percent thought an impact on health care costs was a possibility, but said they had other reasons for participating.

The actual financial savings a company will realize from a wellness initiative is impossible to predict. It depends on the type of program and extent of employee participation. Of course, participation can be affected by factors such as incentives to join, awareness of the initiatives, and how the employer supports the program.

Keep in mind that wellness programs can do more for a company than just contain health insurance costs. Healthier employees are likely to be more productive, have fewer absences, and have better attitudes towards their jobs. Sponsorship of wellness programs can also enhance a company’s recruitment efforts and improve its image in the community.

 

New Proposed Rules for Wellness Programs

Wellness plans pay for themselves

Although employers continue to use cost shifting to control health insurance expenses, many companies are also making wellness programs part of the overall strategy to keep costs down by keeping staff members healthy.
“Our entire health care system is organized around treating diseases after they occur, not preventing them before they occur. We need a paradigm shift that places prevention at the center of our health priorities.” – Lynn C. Swann, Chairman, President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports[/box]

 

 

One survey of 365 companies found that 62 percent have implemented wellness programs as a long-term investment to improve employees’ health. Of these companies, about two-thirds cited rising health care costs as a “major factor” in the decision to sponsor a program, and the other third responded that finances played “some role” in the decision.

In another survey, 80 percent of business executives said the best way to reduce health care costs is to provide financial incentives for employees to lead healthier lifestyles.

At the top of the list of wellness initiatives are health risk assessments, followed by smoking cessation programs. The surveyed companies also offered:

  • Health risk assessments – 61 percent
  • Smoking cessation programs – 56 percent
  • On-site workout facilities – 50 percent
  • Employee diet groups – 48 percent
  • Adding healthier foods to the cafeteria menu – 48 percent
  • Subsidized gym programs – 43 percent
  • Allowing employees to use time during the workday to exercise – 27 percent
  • Diet counseling – 27 percent
  • Other initiatives, such as free flu shots, healthier vending machine choices, wellness Web sites, and on-site massages – 32 percent

Almost half of the companies with wellness programs offered employees incentives to participate, such as cash payments, reduced medical co-payments, rebates on wellness program costs, gift certificates and prizes.

While the surveys cited above focused on large companies, small and midsize businesses are also offering wellness initiatives. The National Federation of Independent Business reports that more than 80 percent of businesses with 50 or more employees have implemented some type of wellness program.

Most companies acknowledge that the payoff won’t come immediately. Employers were asked, “Do you believe that helping employees lead healthier lifestyles will make a noticeable difference to the company’s health care costs?” Eighty percent of respondents said “Yes, but it will take a while to see results.” Only four percent expected immediate improvement. Another 14 percent thought an impact on health care costs was a possibility, but said they had other reasons for participating.

The actual financial savings a company will realize from a wellness initiative is impossible to predict. It depends on the type of program and extent of employee participation. Of course, participation can be affected by factors such as incentives to join, awareness of the initiatives, and how the employer supports the program.

Keep in mind that wellness programs can do more for a company than just contain health insurance costs. Healthier employees are likely to be more productive, have fewer absences, and have better attitudes towards their jobs. Sponsorship of wellness programs can also enhance a company’s recruitment efforts and improve its image in the community.