Health insurance carriers typically offer wellness features bundled with their health plans. Many offer discounts and reimbursements for weight loss programs, free health tips, and even help you see report cards of your health over time. Many employers are tempted to just use their carrier-provided tools as their main employee benefits wellness program. Unfortunately, the carrier programs are nowhere near as good as the wellness programs that are generally available on the market.
A good wellness program will be one that people use, and one that makes them happier and healthier. Carrier wellness programs just aren’t set up for it for a few reasons:
They’re not easy to use.
An easy to use wellness program is key to keeping people involved. Wellness isn’t really a priority for health insurance companies. Their wellness options are typically difficult to maneuver and can prevent insurance holders from participating. Furthermore, carriers typically don’t promote these tools well, so many holders may not even be aware of them!
They’re not flexible.
An effective program always takes into account that one size does not fit all. Your employees will have varying levels of fitness, so a program that offers few challenges can discourage different groups from participating. Fit employees may lose interest in challenges that are too easy, while the less healthy employees may not want to participate because the challenges are too difficult.
They isolate employees not on their plan
One of the best things about a corporate wellness program is that it has the potential to promote a company culture of wellness. However, if we rely on insurance companies, individuals who are on a different insurance plan don’t get to participate in the fun! When all employees have access to the same program, they have the ability to encourage each other to keep moving!
Overall, they’re just not engaging enough.
A good wellness program should attract your employees and keep them going. While getting a discount on an elliptical is nice, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s getting any use! According to a Consumer Reports survey last year, almost 40% of home equipment owners don’t use it nearly as much as they thought they would.
One way to get employees more engaged is to offer incentives for healthy milestones. IncentFit offers incentives for gym visits, exercises classes, and even steps! We can help you offer discounts too, if that’s your thing. Contact us to learn more!