Getting the best ROI out of your benefits

• Key Insight: See why tracking enrollment numbers fails to measure the true value of workplace perks.
• What's at Stake: Benefit leaders facing near-double-digit healthcare cost increases as they audit workplace wellness programs.
• Supporting Data: Near-double-digit projected increases in healthcare costs for the year 2027.
  Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

With healthcare costs heading toward a near-double-digit increase in 2027, benefit leaders are taking a hard look at every dollar they spend on the eve of open enrollment.

And to truly measure a workplace perk's value, the most important question they should be asking is whether employees actually use it, said Tom Wiffler, CEO of One Pass, a fitness and wellness benefits provider.

"That is where the ROI conversation needs to evolve," said Wiffler, a longtime former UnitedHealthcare executive. "It should not just be about what an employer offers or how many people are eligible. It should be about whether the benefit is driving sustained engagement and whether that engagement connects to better outcomes."

Wiffler recently spoke with Employee Benefit News about how employers can get more value from their benefits and determine which programs are worth the investment. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Is enrollment really a meaningful measure of whether a benefit is working?
Enrollment is a meaningful starting point, but it doesn't tell us the whole story. Someone signing up for a benefit tells you there is interest and that they took the first step. The question is what happens next. Look at fitness. We already know movement is fundamental to better health. The challenge isn't just getting someone signed up but getting them to the gym again and again. Utilization is a much more meaningful measure.

With fitness benefits, we've sometimes made the conversation a lecture about how much someone should move rather than building the support around that individual to help them actually do it. Enrollment is the first step, but then you have to keep people engaged. Because movement is personal, sustained engagement is going to look different for different people. What works for someone today may not work as their schedule, interests or stage of life changes. 

Giving employees a variety of ways to move allows them to find what works for them, adapt when they need to, and keep working toward their own health and fitness goals. So, when employers are evaluating whether a benefit is working, they should look at whether people are continuing to engage over time, not simply whether they enrolled. Enrollment measures interest. Engagement measures impact.

What should benefits leaders measure instead of participation?
We need to move beyond measuring participation and start measuring engagement over time. Participation can tell you whether someone showed up once. It does not tell you whether the benefit is helping people build a habit, sustain activity, or create meaningful value over time.

Benefits leaders should be looking at who is using a benefit, how often they are using it, and whether engagement is increasing, declining or changing over time. But data is only part of the picture. After 30 years in healthcare, I have found that the strongest benefit strategies are the ones that listen to the people they are designed to serve. Employee feedback helps benefits leaders understand whether people know about the benefit, value it and know how to use it, as well as what gets in the way.

The goal should not be to measure participation in a single moment. The goal should be to understand whether the benefit is helping people build healthier habits over time. How do you distinguish a benefit that's underused from one that simply isn't valuable? The first question that benefits leaders should ask is why people are not engaging. Do employees know the benefit exists? Do they understand how to use it? Have they been given a reason to try it? And is it easy enough for them to get started?

An employer can offer a valuable benefit, but awareness and activation can get lost in the noise of everything else employees are asked to navigate. Before deciding a benefit is not valuable, leaders need to understand whether the issue is the benefit itself or whether people have not been given the right support to use it.

With healthcare costs rising, where should employers be looking for the biggest ROI gains?
The biggest opportunity is to make movement part of the healthcare equation. We spend a tremendous amount of time managing the consequences of poor health. Employers have an opportunity to do more on the front end by helping people build habits that support better health in the first place.

That doesn't mean everyone needs to run a marathon or follow the same fitness routine. Movement looks different depending on someone's age, ability, interests and stage of life. The opportunity is to make it easier for more people to find something they can start — and sustain. The evidence continues to show that when people engage consistently in movement, healthcare costs and utilization can improve. That's the real ROI opportunity: not just offering a benefit but helping people use it in a way that supports better health over time.

What's one change benefits leaders should make during 2027 open enrollment?
Stop treating fitness as a nice-to-have benefit. Start treating it like a health benefit. Open enrollment is one of the few moments when employees are actively paying attention to their benefits. Benefits leaders should use that moment to help people understand not just what is available, but why it matters.

If an employer doesn't offer a fitness benefit today, 2027 is the right time to consider one. And if they already offer one, the opportunity is to make sure employees actually know about it, understand how to use it, and have a clear reason to engage. The goal isn't just to get someone to enroll. The goal is to make it easy for people to take the first step, find movement that fits their life, and keep coming back over time.