Linda K. Riddell

As a new year with fresh point solutions to evaluate fast approaches, beware of promises being made that may be too good to actually be true.

Establishing clear expectations and measures, as well as gathering outside evidence, will help avoid buyer’s bewilderment.

How Quizzify makes learning about healthcare fun, delivering information to clients and employees in a game-show contest format.

Quizzify makes learning about medical care fun and interesting, delivering information to employees in a fun, game-show contest format.

A percentage of any staff is overweight. Current theory holds an obese workforce can negatively affect profitability. But healthcare consultant Linda Riddell says companies like Wal-Mart and other firms counter the conventional wisdom.

Large employers like Wal-Mart show this health costs-based assumption doesn’t always add up.

Comparing wellness program participants to nonparticipants is a widely repeated mistake. It continues because employers are not schooled in research study design.

The obituary for traditional wellness programs has been widely published, though perhaps not universally acknowledged. What, indeed, went wrong?

The Validation Institute certifies individuals as competent to review, analyze, and produce health program measures. Given the high stakes – millions of dollars in savings – it’s comforting that not just any 11-year-old could pass.

Commentary: Your new wellness vendor’s presentation showed impressive results from their work with other clients – risk factors reduced, cost curves bent, and ROI blossomed. It all sounds terrific.

Commentary: The closer you look, the lower the return on investment for wellness programs. That’s the take-home message from a thorough, scientific review published by the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Opinion: While some thought that expensive, broad-based health screening programs were a thing of the past, the AHA's policies may support practices that should have been abandoned long ago.

Wondering if your wellness program is delivering the goods or just delivering good profits to your vendor? Intel and GE’s joint venture Validation Institute will tell you. Think of it as a new sheriff in the wild west of wellness ROI, armed with science and a calculator.

The allure of lower premiums and higher consumer engagement is powerful, but it may not work in the end.

Vendor performance guarantees are toothless without meaningful vendor reporting.

Guest blogger Linda Riddell reviews the book Cracking Health Costs.

Health data is not intuitive so benefit managers must learn to ask the right questions.

Most pharmacy benefit managers don’t use warning systems to flag high use or potential abuse of narcotics. But you can, with a good eye and simple calculator.

Senior managers, CFOs, accountants and HR/benefits professionals all want to know that their company wellness programs are making a difference. I can share with you five mistakes to avoid: