HJNO Jan/Feb 2020

WELLNESS PROGRAMS 32 JAN / FEB 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   want employee engagement and partici- pation. As seen in the example of employ- ees John and Bob, the more employees who participate, the more potential sav- ings the employers can experience. There- fore, employers are giving employees an incentive to participate in the wellness program. For example, ABC Company will give an employee a $200 gift card if he gets his annual physical from his primary care physician each year. Or, XYZ Company will pay employees $100 a quarter if they log wellness activities like blood work, annual dermatology skin exams, exercise, dental wellness exams, dieting, etc. Some compa- nies are even punishing employee wellness behavior that does not meet the require- ments of the wellness program. For exam- ple, Bob is happy with his unhealthy lifestyle and decides not to get an annual physical, which is required by XYZ Company’s man- datory wellness program. Therefore, XYZ deducts $25 from Bob’s paycheck for not complying with the wellness program’s rules. Furthermore, if Bob does not com- ply with other rules within the wellness pro- gram, like screenings or physical activities, then he can be fined up to $300 a year (5). Wellness programs that are put into place with poor employee communication and little to no accountability will most likely fail to provide cost savings for employers. Similarly, would a manager expect a new employee to do well if there was poor com- munication and no accountability for the employee’s actions? Of course not. There- fore, if an employer is interested in a well- ness program, they should do their home- work in order to choose the right wellness programvendor. Employers should choose vendors who are technologically advanced, with an emphasis on employee communi- cation that will drive better engagement. More employee engagement in the well- ness program can equal more cost savings. Also, an employer needs to decide whether he will reward good employee behavior with incentives, or punish poor behavior with loss of employee pay. If the employer chooses employee punishment, the com- pany’s wellness rules should be fair, ethical, and non-discriminatory. Also keep in mind that employee punishment may decrease employee morale. Employee accountabil- ity within the wellness program will equal more cost savings.  If you, as an employer, are undecided about whether or not your company should offer a wellness program, you should ask yourself if you have adequate management personnel available to ensure your wellness program is successful. If you have two hun- dred employees and only two people within your human resource department, then a wellness program may not be appropriate for you. However, if you have the proper staffing, the desire to improve your employ- ees’ overall health, and the diligence to see the plan through, then a wellness program can potentially save your companymoney. n SOURCES 1“Medical Care Priced at $1,000 in 2000 -> $1,894.22 in 2019”Historical Pricing for Medical Care in 2000 18 September 2019 2“Early Cancer Diagnoses Saves Lives, Cuts Treatment Costs”World Health Organization 3 February 2017 3“How to Live Longer,According to Science”The Healthy 2 January 2019 4“10 Statistics That Make the Case for Workplace Well- ness”SFM The Work Comp Experts 15 August 2018 5“The Scourge of Worker Wellness Programs”The New Republic 2 September 2019 Andrew Olinde,Jr. is a graduate of the University of Louisi- ana at Monroe with a Masters of Business Administration. He began his career in the health and wellness industry in 2008. Prior to joining the Gallagher Benefit Services’ Baton Rouge office, Andrew worked as an internal sales representative at Vantage Health Plan. Andrew is a certi- fied health insurance counselor in the state of Louisiana, and is currently pursuing the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist designation. “If you have two hundred employees and only two people within your human resource department, then a wellness program may not be appropriate for you. However, if you have the proper staffing, the desire to improve your employees’ overall health, and the diligence to see the plan through, then a wellness program can potentially save your company money.”