Final ACA wellness rules issued
Original article from eba.benefitnews.com
By Amy Gordon and Jamie Weyeneth
On May 29, the U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Labor (DOL) and Health and Human Services issued final regulations amending the 2006 HIPAA nondiscrimination wellness regulations to implement the employer wellness program provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The final rules retain the two categories of wellness programs – “participatory wellness programs” and “health-contingent wellness programs.” The final rules do not deviate extensively from the proposed regulations issued in November 2012, although the content has been reorganized to more clearly set forth the requirements for each type of wellness program. The participatory wellness program rules are basically unchanged from the current 2006 regulations – participatory wellness programs comply with the HIPAA nondiscrimination requirements as long as the participant does not have to satisfy any additional standards and participation in the program is made available to all similarly situated individuals, regardless of health status. However, the final rules update and expand on the requirements for health-contingent wellness programs, which condition a reward on a participant’s satisfaction of a standard related to a health factor.
Under the final rules, there are two types of health-contingent wellness programs – “activity-only” programs and “outcome-based” programs. An activity-based wellness program provides a reward if an individual performs or completes an activity related to a health factor, but it does not require the individual to satisfy any specific health outcome. Examples include walking or exercise programs in which a reward is provided just for participation, or rewards for taking a health risk assessment without requiring any further action. An outcome-based wellness program requires an individual to either attain or maintain a specific health outcome – for example, not smoking or achieving certain results in biometric screenings – in order to obtain a reward.
All health-contingent wellness programs must meet five requirements:
1. Eligible individuals must be given an opportunity to qualify for the reward at least once per year.
2. Generally, the reward may not exceed 30% of the total cost of employee-only coverage (including both the employee and employer portion of the cost of coverage). If dependents are permitted to participate, the reward can be calculated on the basis of 30% of the cost of coverage in which the employee and any dependents are enrolled. In the case of a program designed to reduce or prevent tobacco use, the maximum reward amount is 50% of the total cost of coverage. The reward limit is cumulative for all health-contingent wellness programs.
3. The program must be reasonably designed to promote health or prevent disease.
4. For an activity-based wellness program, the full reward must be available to all similarly situated individuals by offering a reasonable alternative standard for obtaining a reward if it is either unreasonably difficult due to a medical condition to satisfy or medically inadvisable to attempt to satisfy the otherwise applicable standard. A wellness program can require verification from a physician that an individual’s health factor makes it unreasonably difficult or medically inadvisable to attempt to satisfy the regular standard.
For an outcome-based wellness program, the full reward must be available to anyone who does not meet the standard based on the initial measurement, test, or screening. The alternative standard cannot be a requirement to meet a different level of the same standard without additional time to comply – for example, if the initial standard is to achieve a body mass index of less than 30, the reasonable alternative standard cannot be to achieve a BMI of less than 31 on that same date, but it might be reasonable to require the individual to reduce his or her BMI by a smaller amount over the course of a year or other realistic period of time. If the individual’s physician joins in the individual’s request for an alternative standard, the physician can be involved in setting (and adjusting) a second alternative standard, consistent with medical appropriateness.
An alternative standard is not reasonable under either type of program unless the time commitment required to satisfy the standard is reasonable. If the alternative standard requires completion of an educational or diet program, the employer must assist the individual in finding the program, and the individual cannot be required to pay for the cost of the program. The alternative standard must accommodate the recommendations of an individual’s personal physician as to medical appropriateness.
5. The availability of a reasonable alternative standard to qualify for the reward must be disclosed in all materials describing the terms of the wellness program. For an outcome-based wellness program, a similar statement must be included in a notice that the individual did not satisfy the initial outcome-based standard. Sample language is provided in the final rule.
The final rules apply to both grandfathered and non-grandfathered group health plans in both the insured and self-insured markets and are effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014. Plan sponsors and issuers should review their current wellness programs and health plan communications in light of these final rules.
Moms Lead Way In Discussing Family Finance
Original article from insurancenewsnet.com
By Mark Jewell
BOSTON -- Who's better at getting a family to talk about money matters, mom or dad? Taking sides probably won't make for a harmonious Mother's Day celebration.
Yet a survey by a financial services company found that mothers clearly have the upper hand over fathers in getting the discussion started with their adult children. While all families are different, moms are often the ones who encourage conversation about such important topics as financial security in retirement, caring for an elder and estate planning, according to survey results released Tuesday by Fidelity Investments.
"Moms are more likely and open to having deep, detailed discussions," saidLauren Brouhard, a senior vice president for retirement with Fidelity's personal investing business.
"Starting the discussion with mom may be a good strategy," given how awkward such conversations can be, Brouhard said.
Key findings from the Boston-based company include:
- Seventy percent of the mothers aged 55 and older who were surveyed reported they'd had comprehensive discussions with their adult children about their ability to cover living expenses in retirement. Just 55 percent of fathers had talked about that topic.
- Seventy-nine percent of the moms had discussed estate planning or wills with their adult children, compared with 69 percent of fathers.
- Sixty-six percent of mothers had discussed health topics such as caring for elders, while 56 of the dads had done so.
- Sixty-four percent of mothers said it is "not at all difficult" to start a conversation with an adult child about savings and investing, versus 54 percent of fathers who said that.
One reason that mothers were more open to discussing such matters: They were more likely to describe themselves as the "the empathizer" in their families. Fifteen percent of moms said that was the case versus 6 percent of fathers describing themselves that way. Fathers were more likely to view themselves as "the pragmatist" in discussing finances, believing they take a more straightforward approach than mothers.
When asked privately about these hard-to-discuss topics, survey participants offered widely varying views on whether their families were discussing money matters in sufficient detail, if they were having the conversations at all.
In many instances, adult children who participated in the surveys "felt that the conversations were not happening at the level of depth required," Brouhard said.
"What's really important is that these not just be surface discussions. Nobody wants surprises down the road, so it's important that they have these conversations now, when they're not reacting to some financial or health emergency."
The survey was conducted from July 24 to Aug. 29 by the firm GfK, with Fidelity not being identified to survey participants as the sponsor. GfK used its KnowledgePanel sample, which first chose participants for the nationwide study using randomly generated telephone numbers and home addresses. Once people were selected to participate, they were interviewed online. Participants without Internet access were provided it for free.
The total sample recruited for the study included 975 parents who were 55 years or older, had an adult child and investable assets of at least $100,000.
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Copyright: |
(c) 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. |
Just Over Half of Employers Using Social Media Tools for Internal Communication
Original article towerswatson.com
Flash survey reveals little consensus on effectiveness
NEW YORK, May 23, 2013 — Despite the explosion of social media in the personal lives of many people, a new survey by global professional services company Towers Watson (NYSE, NASDAQ: TW) shows that just over half of employers are using social media tools to communicate and build community with employees. Further, among those employers that have embraced social media technology, there is little consensus as to which ones are most effective.
The 2013 Towers Watson Change and Communication ROI Survey found that 56% of the employers surveyed currently use various social media tools as part of their internal communication initiatives to build community — creating a sense that employees and leaders are in it together, and sharing both the challenges and rewards of work. However, when asked how they would rate the effectiveness of social media tools, only 30% to 40% of respondents rated most of the tools as highly effective. And only four in 10 (40%) rated the use of social media technology as cost effective.
EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
|
% THAT USE |
% OF THOSE THAT USE AND FIND IT EFFECTIVE |
|
|
Instant messaging |
73% |
48% |
|
Streaming audio or video |
61% |
48% |
|
HR or other function journal or blog |
55% |
35% |
|
Enhanced online employee profiles |
54% |
37% |
|
Social networks |
53% |
29% |
|
Employee journals or blogs |
52% |
37% |
|
SMS messaging |
51% |
39% |
|
Leadership journal or blog |
48% |
36% |
|
Collaboration sites |
45% |
33% |
|
Video-sharing site |
44% |
36% |
|
Apps or other mobile approaches |
44% |
39% |
"We believe that social media can be a great tool for communicating with employees in the workplace," said Kathryn Yates, global leader of communication consulting at Towers Watson. "By its nature, social media is designed to build community and could help engage employees on key topics such as performance, collaboration, culture and values. As the need for global collaboration increases, we expect more companies will join those already leveraging social media to creatively communicate those messages."
The Towers Watson survey also found that while four in 10 employers (41%) say they are effective at building a shared experience with their employees as a whole, the percentage drops by roughly half (to 23%) when it comes to building community with remote workers.
"As today's workforce evolves, we know from our research that the growing number of remote workers are looking for clear communication, to be treated with integrity, and want coaching and support from afar. For employers to effectively engage and retain remote workers, they will need to connect them with their leaders, managers and colleagues. We think social media tools can be a real help in making this connection," said Yates.
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The 2013 Towers Watson Change and Communication ROI Survey was conducted in April 2013. A total of 290 large and midsize organizations from across North America, Europe and Asia participated in the survey.
Employers Gear Up For Health Care Changes
Original article from insurancenewsnet.com
By Cyril Tuohy
With the enrollment period for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) little more than four months away, employers are gearing up to inform their workers of the big changes ahead.
For employers who have not yet decided whether to continue offering health coverage or pay the fine for dropping coverage, “now is the time to think about that,” Andrew Molloy, assistant vice president of health management and insurance programs at Unum, said in an interview with InsuranceNewsNet.
So far, it appears the vast majority of employers will keep their coverage for full-time workers, according to a recent poll by the Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey found that 69 percent of employers will “definitely” continue to provide employer-sponsored health care when the exchanges go live Jan. 1, 2014.
Proponents of health reform, including President Barack Obama, said workers who receive good coverage under their employer-sponsored plan are likely to maintain that coverage, either with existing plans or something very similar.
Employees have an advantage under employer-sponsored coverage models, thanks to the power of group health pricing. Employers benefit as well because of the tax advantages associated with offering workplace-based coverage.
Corporate human resources departments, therefore, are working overtime to inform employees of the big changes. Everyone from insurance carriers to benefits brokers to payroll administrators are racing to inform clients of the changes through brochures, podcasts, blog postings, webinars and dedicated webpages.
“We know that everybody needs to comply with the Affordable Care Act and they are going to try as hard as they can to reduce cost under their respective health care plan and certainly you need a health care compliance strategy to achieve that,” Dave Sanders, health and benefits legal practice with AonHewitt, said in a recent webcast.
For now, companies can focus on the compliance strategy. But, in the long term, they also will need a health care strategy, he said.
Government websites also are full of information about what employers and employees need to know before employees make an enrollment decision. Earlier this month, for instance, the Department of Labor issued guidance to companies on notification procedures of coverage options to employees under Section 18(B) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Unum, which offers, life, disability and voluntary benefits coverage, believes a more informed employer makes life easier for employees and insurance carriers.
“It’s important in our role that we educate our clients, and we mean it so that requires us to help our clients, or in some cases brokers, to understand what their implications are on their total benefit of decision making,” Molloy said. “We recognize that medical is the biggest driver of the benefit decision.”
The majority of employer-sponsored health plans begin coverage Jan. 1, 2014, following the three-month enrollment period from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.
“Some employees will qualify for subsidies and qualify for the exchanges, and employees will be asking questions,” he said. If employees are not asking lots and lots of questions they really should be, Molloy said.
Unum clients and brokers, who play a key role in advising clients, have snapped up the company’s 50-page pamphlet outlining key steps and strategies companies should think about for 2014 and beyond, Molloy also said.
Big-picture questions many employers will want answers to include:
- whether to “pay or play,” meaning to pay the fine or play in the employer-sponsored health benefits marketplace
- whether they meet the 50 full-time-equivalent threshold under which they don’t have to offer coverage
- which states have a state-run exchange or have elected to default to the federal exchange (Fewer than half the states are establishing an exchange.)
The finer points of the law -- such as compliance with deductible limits and out-of-pocket expenses, the contributions to the Transitional Reinsurance Program by sponsors of self-insured group health plans, new limitations on Flexible Spending Accounts, who qualifies for subsidies and levies on medical device manufacturers -- are better left to benefits brokers and advisors.
Still, employers need to be informed in upcoming discussions with their brokers, and with Memorial Day weekend around the corner, many advisors and corporate benefits experts can expect this to be, if not a hot summer, then at least a long one.
“If you are a company that’s going to play and you haven’t thought about it, it’s time,” Molloy said.
© Entire contents copyright 2013 by InsuranceNewsNet.com, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted without the expressed written consent from InsuranceNewsNet.com.
$1B to $5B in insured losses in tornado outbreak
Source businessinsurance.com
By Mike Tsikoudakis
Estimated insured losses resulting from the devastating storms in Oklahoma are at least $1 billion, said Insurance Information Institute President Robert Hartwig.
Separately, Eqecat Inc. estimated insured losses at $2 billion to $5 billion in storms over three days in 10 states.
Mr. Hartwig took a 90-minute tour Thursday with Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak through devastated areas of Moore, Okla., which was ravaged by a massive EF5 tornado with estimated winds reaching more than 200 mph.
Property worth more than $6 billion was within the track of the massive tornado, Air Worldwide Corp. said Wednesday.
“I don't think it will be a $6 billion loss,” Mr. Hartwig said Thursday. “I think we're looking at something in the $1billion-plus range. It could be $2 billion; we don't know. I think a wild card here is how much the commercial losses are and, then, ultimately what business interruption losses are.”
Read full article at businessinsurance.com
Training Is the Key to Effective Wellness Programs
Original article from safetydailyadvisor.blr.com
By Chris Kilbourne
Many employers turn to wellness programs to manage healthcare costs and improve employee productivity. However, recent research shows that educating employees about the programs is critical to their success.
"Well on the Way: Engaging Employees in Workplace Wellness," a white paper released by Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, explains that strong communication drives the effectiveness of wellness programs. The company has found that more than half of workers do not know enough about their company’s wellness programs to participate in them. In fact, 52 percent of workers whose employers offer wellness programs say they are only somewhat or not at all knowledgeable about them, and the lack of knowledge is highest among young workers, less-educated workers, and lower-paid workers.
"Just offering a wellness program and expecting a majority of employees to participate—the 'if you build it, they will come' scenario—is prone to failure," says Steve Bygott, assistant vice president of marketing analysis and programs at Colonial Life. "Communication that clearly delineates the benefits of participation to employees is the first step to long-term engagement in wellness programs."
Case Studies
Winners of the National Business Group on Health's 2012 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards, for example, have demonstrated a commitment to promoting wellness and educating employees about it.
Cardinal Health received an award for its Healthy Lifestyles program, which is part of the company’s overarching benefits strategy to support the well being and development of its employees. Cardinal Health incorporates work/life effectiveness initiatives, programs, and incentives that emphasize wellness and prevention. Among other offerings, the company provides its employees with education and awareness programs, as well as health coaching.
NextEra Energy, Inc. is another award-winner. Its NextEra Health & Well-Being initiative provides a wide variety of health and productivity management programs—with services in five primary categories: health promotion, fitness, nutrition and weight management, health centers, and an employee assistance program.
Other award winners include American Express® and HP.
American Express's Healthy Living corporate wellness program encourages preventive care and healthy lifestyles. Developed in 2009, the program was introduced in an effort to help employees achieve greater physical, psychological, financial, and social wellbeing through superior resources, enhanced access to care, and incentives to foster healthy changes, including health coaching, on-site medical clinics, and lifestyle and disease management programs. The company also received a Best Communication Tactics award for its global communication efforts to engage employees and develop a strong culture of wellness.
HP has created a global culture of wellness with its Winning with Wellness initiative. The program, which was implemented in 33 countries over the course of 1 year, equips employees with user-friendly tools and resources to take charge of—and be accountable for—managing their personal wellness, according to Aon Hewitt, which worked with HP to, among other things, articulate its wellness strategy and create a plan to implement and communicate the initiative globally.
Why It Matters
- More organizations are realizing the connection between wellness programs and the productivity of employees and the profitability of their companies.
- More organizations are, therefore, instituting wellness programs of various kinds ranging from gym membership subsidies to weight loss programs and smoking cessation plans.
- As today's Advisor indicates, however, merely starting a wellness program isn’t enough; wellness training and education about the programs are critical steps to making wellness programs effective.
Lowering salt intake to improve health may backfire
Original article from eba.benefitnews.com
By Anna Edney
Lowering sodium intake, a drumbeat of doctors’ efforts to improve patient health, may have the opposite effect if taken to the extreme, scientists said.
U.S. dietary guidelines to reduce sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams a day for certain people aren’t supported by enough scientific evidence, an Institute of Medicine panel said in a recent report. Studies reviewed by the panel didn’t prove health outcomes improved when salt consumption was cut to that level.
“Lowering sodium intake too much may actually increase a person’s risk of some health problems,” says Brian Strom, the panel chairman and a public health professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. The studies still “support previous findings that reducing sodium from very high intake levels to moderate levels improves health.”
Adults consume an average 3,400 milligrams of salt each day. The U.S. recommends 2,300 milligrams for the general public and as low as 1,500 milligrams for those with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, black people and people older than age 50. The American Heart Association, which advises 1,500 milligrams for everyone, challenged the report.
“The report is missing a critical component — a comprehensive review of well-established evidence which links too much sodium to high blood pressure and heart disease,” says Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the association.
In addition, studies that don’t show a benefit on heart disease or adverse effects were conducted on sick people, the Dallas-based association said in a statement.
Complex changes
The IOM panel said it looked at studies that measured health outcomes such as heart disease and death rather than high blood pressure as an indicator of heart disease.
“These studies make clear that looking at sodium’s effects on blood pressure is not enough to determine dietary sodium’s ultimate impact on health,” Strom says. “Changes in diet are more complex than simply changing a single mineral. More research is needed to understand these pathways.”
The report recognizes that blood pressure is only one of many factors that should be considered when evaluating dietary changes, the Salt Institute, an Alexandria, Virginia-based trade group that represents companies including Morton Salt Inc., said in a statement. Morton Satin, vice president of science and research for the Salt Institute, praised the report’s caution against reducing sodium to 1,500 milligrams.
Potential harm
“The recognition by the IOM experts that such low levels may cause harm may help steer overzealous organizations away from reckless recommendations,” Satin says.
The panel’s report didn’t list what a healthy sodium range would be, and the authors said further research is needed on associations between lower levels of sodium and health outcomes.
The Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the Washington-based nonprofit National Academies, provides medical advice to policy makers and the public. The report was sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
American Red Cross Aids Oklahoma Tornado Victims
Original article from redcross.org
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, May 21, 2013 — The American Red Cross is working around the clock to help people in Oklahoma after Monday’s devastating tornadoes with shelters, food, water and supplies, and more workers, supplies and equipment are moving into the area today.
“Our thoughts and sympathy are with all those impacted by these horrific tornadoes,” said Trevor Riggen, vice president of Disaster Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross. “Specialized Red Cross disaster teams are helping now and will be helping for weeks to come as people in Oklahoma recover from these storms.”
The Red Cross deployed almost 30 emergency response vehicles to distribute food and relief supplies and more are on alert. Two Southern Baptist Convention kitchens and kitchen support trailers will join the relief effort with the ability to serve tens of thousands of meals a day.
Emergency aid stations will open where people can get food and snacks, mental health and health services and information about what help is available. The Red Cross is supporting first responders and working with local and state officials to make sure people get the help they need. Meanwhile, the Red Cross continues to provide shelter in Shawnee and other parts of the Oklahoma City area following storms over the weekend.
SAFE AND WELL The Red Cross has several ways people can let loved ones know they are safe. They can register on the Red Cross Safe and Well website by visiting www.redcross.org and clicking on the “List Yourself or Search Registrants” link under “How to Get Help”. Those who can’t access a computer can call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and a Red Cross operator can help them register. Disaster victims can also update their Facebook and Twitter status through the Safe and Well website or visitwww.redcross.org/safeandwell on their smart phone and click on the “List Yourself as Safe and Well” or “Search for friends and family” link.
DOWNLOAD TORNADO APP. If someone has the Red Cross tornado app on their mobile device, they can use the “I’m Safe” button to let loved ones know they are okay. The app can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross. It includes a high-pitched siren and tornado warning alert that signals when a NOAA tornado warning has been issued, as well as also an all-clear alert that lets users know when a tornado warning has expired or has been cancelled. Content is preloaded so users have access to critical information even without mobile connectivity, including locations of open Red Cross shelters and the one-touch “I’m Safe” messaging to let loved ones know they are okay through social media outlets. More than a million alerts were sent from the Red Cross tornado app with 340 separate tornado warning/watch notices on Sunday and Monday as tornadoes hit in Oklahoma and other states.
HOW TO HELP Those who would like to help people affected by disasters like tornadoes, floods and other crises can make a donation to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. People can donate by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. These donations help provide food, shelter and emotional support to those affected by disasters.
BLOOD SUPPLIES The Red Cross stands ready to help meet the blood needs of patients in and around Oklahoma City if needed, and there is currently enough blood on the shelves to meet patient demands. The Red Cross is a secondary supplier of blood products to hospitals in the affected area in Oklahoma. People with type O negative blood are encouraged to give blood when they are able. All eligible blood donors can schedule an appointment to give in the days and weeks ahead by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or visiting www.redcrossblood.org to help ensure blood is available when people need it.
CORPORATIONS HELP The Red Cross is able to respond quickly when emergencies like this happen with the help of corporations who are members of the organization’s Annual Disaster Giving (ADGP) and Disaster Responder programs. Program members pledge donations on an ongoing basis to allow the Red Cross to pre-position supplies and be ready to take immediate action when disasters occur.
Current ADGP members are:
3M; Altria Group; Aon; AT&T; Bank of America; BNY Mellon; Briggs & Stratton Corporation; Caterpillar Inc.; CHS Foundation; Cisco Foundation; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Community Safety Foundation funded by AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah Insurance Exchange; ConAgra Foods Foundation; Costco Wholesale Corporation; Darden Restaurants, Inc.; Dell Inc.; Discover; Disney; Dr Pepper Snapple Group; Edison International; FedEx Corporation; GE Foundation; Hewlett-Packard Company Foundation; The Home Depot Foundation; Humble Bundle; jcpenney; John Deere Foundation; Johnson Controls; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Kraft Foods Group; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; Medtronic; Meijer; Merck Co. Foundation; Mondelēz International; National Grid; Nationwide Insurance Foundation; Northrop Grumman; Optum; PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation; Southwest Airlines; Sprint; State Farm; State Street; Target; Texas Instruments; The TJX Companies, Inc.; UnitedHealthcare; University of Phoenix; UPS; US Airways; Walmart; WellPoint Foundation; Wells Fargo.
Disaster Responder members include:
American Express; AstraZeneca; AXA Foundation; Delta Air Lines; Farmers Insurance; Ford Motor Company; General Motors Foundation; H&R Block; Ingersoll Rand; Morgan Stanley; New Balance Foundation; Northwestern Mutual and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation; PuroClean; Ryder Charitable Foundation; Starbucks Coffee Company and Starbucks Foundation; Sunoco; Tyson Foods, Inc.; U.S. Bank; Western Union Foundation.
[button color="#ffffff" background="#0c5737" size="medium" src="https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10002"]Donate Today[/button]
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
Oklahoma Disaster Relief and Information
Our hearts go out to those experiencing loss and devastation in the aftermath of Monday's monstrous tornado. We encourage our community to participate in the relief efforts to help these communities recover and rebuild in any way that they can. In order to help you find a way to donate or get involved, we have outlined recognized sources getting aid to the areas in desperate need. These organizations and their contact information are as follows:
Employers getting pushy in drive to better health
Original article from benefitspro.com
By Allen Greenberg
Short of bribery and potentially violating anti-discrimination laws by not hiring obese smokers, there’s little employers can do to improve the health of their workforce.
Or is there?
What looks to be a growing number of employers are, in fact, embracing outcomes-based disincentives to prod employees to achieve specific health outcomes, rather than merely enroll in their wellness programs.
Off the bat, I know that sounds like Big Brother. But I also think it sounds like a constructive and fairly non-intrusive way for employers to try to regain some control in the losing battle to reign in health care costs.
The Midwest Business Group of Health, a Chicago-based nonprofit group with more than 120 large, self-insured public and private employers, dug into this question in one of its latest surveys and came up with some interesting findings about the carrots and sticks employers rely on.
Let’s start with what everyone enjoys.
Among employers offering incentives, 62 percent report they offer employees who follow their wellness programs reduced premiums. Another 38 percent use gift cards and 35 percent offer merchandise.
Not bad. Put down the Hershey’s Kisses between meals and get a nicely loaded Starbucks gift card at the end of the month.
Actually, in a lot of instances, we’re talking about something of much greater value. Twenty-two percent of the companies in the survey reported their incentives were worth $500-$1,000.
Seventy-one percent of the surveyed companies said they found their incentive strategy was “very successful” or “successful.”
So, how about the stick?
More than 37 percent said they have begun to rely on penalties in response to nonparticipation in their wellness rewards. Increased health care premiums and coverage plan limitations are among the more common sticks.
This is a new trend, to be sure, so there’s some measure of experimentation going on and certainly room for improvement. Just 45 percent of those surveyed viewed their disincentive strategy as “very successful” or “successful.”
That shouldn’t be taken to mean we won’t see more of this. As Cheryl Larson, vice president for the Midwest Business Group on Health, will tell you, employers are fairly desperate nowadays to find ways to save health care dollars.
Which is why more than 40 percent of those surveyed now expect their employees to kick in a higher share of their plan premiums if they don’t stay on track with the company’s wellness programs, while another 16 percent are considering doing so.
Wellness programs have been around for decades, but there’s still a lot for HR managers to learn about what works and what doesn’t, and there's naturally going to be squeamishness about pulling out disincentives.
One key lesson shared by an employer cited in the MBGH survey:
“Even though our employees were not happy about the implementation of the program, we have a very compliant population. We know they complain about it, but they end up participating to take advantage of the incentives.”
In other words, yes, incentives, are always going to be popular. But if they don’t work, you might try throwing a few disincentives into the mix, rather than tossing away millions more in benefits dollars.