Wellness

Commentary: We would all be better off if we stopped debating the merits of employee wellness and focus on what the intent of it should be – helping employees and their families achieve their optimal health.

Many companies have embraced financial incentives as a way to encourage participation in wellness programs, but workers still express concerns about privacy and not wanting their employers to be involved in their health and well-being.

As companies redesign their benefits around employee needs, the links between oral and overall health has employers incorporating dental benefits into wellness strategies.

Commentary: Most employers are in the dark about what they get in return for what they spend on health benefits. As a result, they tend to make decisions about benefits on the basis of costs alone, with little regard to value.

Flu season is just around the corner and you’ve probably set up free flu shots for everyone in the office. But are you also offering financial wellness programs to shore up your employees’ immunity against financial stress?

Commentary: Without building a better plan, continued participation will wane and the program as a whole will fall short of employer health initiatives, says adviser Tim Olson, who shares five steps that will lead employer clients to an improved plan.

The benefits industry is awaiting several rulings from the Supreme Court of the United States expected in 2016 that could have far-reaching effects on the administration and cost of operating employee benefit plans.

Dental plans are innovating with new technologies, and boosting participation in the process.From mobile apps to virtual ID cards to gamification and even Bluetooth smart brushes, it’s not your father’s dental plan anymore. Brokers seeking innovative plan designs for employers should take note. The future is here.

Commentary: Executives are starting to acknowledge that engagement alone won’t drive long-term results.

Commentary: Employers say that stress is the No. 1 workforce risk issue. And now employers have more reason to be concerned: A recent study found that people who report stress in the workplace lose three years of their life.

It is possible to break down the wall between engagement and wellness with a technology platform that addresses the whole employee. Just make sure to ask these nine questions before you select a partner.

Commentary: Employee wellness programs are popular and help employers keep their health insurance costs down, but paying keen attention to this changing area of the law will keep employers out of the weeds and help create a healthier workforce.

Employers using health apps as part of their wellness programs may want to pay attention to what is being called the most in-depth analysis to date of health-related app use in the United States.

The U.S. is “drowning” in over-diagnosis and over-treatment and workplace wellness programs are partly to blame, said a wellness industry expert during a debate at the Population Health Alliance conference in Washington, D.C.

Bolstered by the Affordable Care Act, 79% of employer groups now have some type of wellness program, according to a survey by the National Business Group on Health. Along with the opportunities, however, come some regulatory pitfalls.

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is issuing a proposed rule today, aiming to clarify how wellness incentives apply to the health information of a spouse participating in an employer-sponsored wellness program.

Return on investment is no longer the main measuring stick, with employers instead focusing on overall value, new research finds.

Commentary: Employers who move most effectively to address stress and improve their employees' resiliency will find themselves at a competitive advantage in employee recruitment, retention and market performance.

Effective behavior change programs are likely to be based on theory and evidence and built on years of scientific research – not on employer demands, personal preferences or bells-and-whistles technology.

The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave each year to qualifying workers for the birth or adoption of a child, the serious illness of an immediate family member or a worker’s own medical condition.