Companies in the U.S. are increasingly penalizing workers who decline to join "wellness" programs, embracing an element of President Barack Obama's health care law that has raised questions about fairness in the workplace.
Beginning in 2014, the law known as Obamacare raised the financial incentives that employers are allowed to offer workers for participating in workplace wellness programs and achieving results. The incentives, which big business lobbied for, can be either rewards or penalties - up to 30 percent of health insurance premiums, deductibles, and other costs, and even more if the programs target smoking.
Among the two-thirds of large companies using such incentives to encourage participation, almost a quarter are imposing financial penalties on those who opt-out, according to a survey by the National Business Group on Health and benefits consultant Towers Watson (For graphic see link.reuters.com/byr73w)
For some companies, however, just signing up for a wellness program isn't enough. They're linking financial incentives to specific goals such as losing weight, reducing cholesterol, or keeping blood glucose under control. The number of businesses imposing such outcomes-based wellness plans is expected to double this year to 46 percent, the survey found.
"Wellness-or-else is the trend," said workplace consultant Jon Robison of Salveo Partners.
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Maintaining healthy individual lifestyles makes a HUGE dent in healthcare costs for a company (and all of us). They have a big incentive to keep their employees healthy. I'd say this is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteOur company has been running a wellness program for the past 3 years. Participation is not mandatory at all but for those who have chosen to join, it is great. You can pick or choose activities throughout the year to meet a certain point target. If you meet the point target, you get $250.00 cash at the end of the year plus the satisfaction of feeling better. We can choose from simple 10000 step challenges, on-site weight watcher programs, on-site yoga programs, running and walking programs and even outside gym activities can be counted. We even have healthy pot luck lunches a few times a year. May not be for everyone but our sign ups for the program increase every year and lots of us are feeling much better about our health as a result.
ReplyDeleteQuit complaining. If people took better care of themselves, this wouldn't even be an option. I don't like to always eat healthy, but I keep myself at a healthy weight for a reason. I don't want to spend all my hard earned money on my healthcare or anyone elses.
ReplyDelete