Wellness Programs
joannie
2,294 Posts
Can anyone give me any hints on starting a company Wellness Program?
joannie
2,294 Posts
Comments
However, both the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association have information about wellness committees and starting them.
If I can be of further assistance, just email me at [email]carole.owen@bgfh.com[/email]
Carole
When you first initiated the program, did you start with education or actual participation?
If they did not do the health screen we charged them more, but we noticed that people were only getting the health screens and not physicals. Health screens don't detect skin cancer for example.
So now we have to get physicals according to age guidelines. If we don't, we get charged more. Our physical benefit is a $0 copay and we pay for $500 in labs so essentially the physicals are free.
We started basic and ratcheted it up every year.
Oh also, we started with only requiring ee's to participate and now their spouses have to also.
We are currently looking at adding a program associated with a fitenss club. They have some certified folks with all kinds of initials after their names that could be something like your own personal trainer but done via email or phone calls. We, the Er, would not be involved so we would not have access to their personal health information.
We provide free flu shots each Fall and twice a year we provide what we call a health fair, where a local clinic comes out and takes blood samples. This is also free to our ee's and very extensive.
We had a deal with the local YMCA for a reduced cost to our ee's but so few took part in the program, we cancelled it after only a couple years.
Good luck.
Thanks
Federal ERISA language outlines the criteria for a bona fide well program. If you have a bona fide wellness program, you can offer discounts or penalties that don't really affect the cost of the employee's health insurance; otherwise ERISA requires no discrimination in eligibility, enrollment, cost, continued participation based on health factors. The 'bona fide' wellness program is a legal exception.
Another place to look would be your state's legislation to see if there is a statute that addresses administration of group health insurance benefits. If you find that there is, there may be further restrictions with a few opportunities to work around the restrictions.
I just did some of this sort of research for a class with a Florida employer as the setting. It was very interesting what I found. My employer is also thinking of implementing a wellness program, so I'll be able to use the information I found to help us at work.
Best wishes.