Health Promotion Program Obstacles.

Nearly two-thirds of corporations with health promotion programs offer staff members incentives â.” financial or otherwise â.” to participate.

But only one firm in five has seen major improvement in employees’ health status (and lower costs) within two years of launching the incentive. Here are three keys to getting good results â.” and a red flag for failure.

Cancer screenings pay off big

Most health promotion programs feature health-risk assessments for things like high cholesterol and diabetes. But many overlook the need for early detection of cancer, which can affect any staff member, regardless of his or her age or general health.

In many cases, you can line up certain screenings, such as skin cancer detection (the most common type of cancer and, in its early stages, the most easily treated) for free or at a nominal cost.

These resources are often available through community agencies or the American Cancer Society. More involved and costly screenings â.” like mammograms â.” are well worth the cost.

A single case of cancer identified early usually saves thousands of dollars in medical claims and disability costs â.” not to mention trauma for the worker.

Smart employee health promotion incentives

HIPAA has tricky non-discrimination rules for offering staff members a break on premiums or copays. You needn’t worry about HIPAA if you -

1. Structure the wellness program as a cost-break for workers who embrace wellness. on the flip side, imposing surcharges for uncooperative workers can force you to jump through health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) hoops.

2. Make the incentive available to all staff. for  instance, when you offer a discount to non-smokers, an employee who lately quit smoking must also be eligible.

3. Allow personnel who fail to earn the incentive to have another shot at it next plan year.

Bottom line -  Make the financial incentive a reward, not a punishment. Do the incentives work? If they’re done right, yes.

Firms offering monetary rewards for wellness usually save about $20 to $50 a month, as reported by some estimates.

Making wellness programs simple

Many firms require employees to work with a personal “wellness Coach” for earn premium discounts or other incentives. Usually, the staff member sets up appointments and reports to the wellness coach on a regular basis, either by phone or in individuals.

The good news -  the early results are often stimulating.

The bad news -  Once workers realize there’s ongoing effort involved, many lose interest. But many firms have found a simple alternative. Rather than having participants contact the health Coach, the health coach calls them.

In many cases, this minor wellness program tweak keep folks on the right track and cuts dropout rates.

Wellness starts upstairs

No matter how much money your business spends on wellness, the odds of success depend largely on the example set by top management.

Example - If your Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is a smoker, chances are few staff members will buy into a smoking cessation program.

In like manner, it’s hard to sell staff on subsidized health club memberships when your business culture is sedentary. for wellness to work, the top brass must practice what the firm preaches.