888-765-5400Work Place Wellness
Healthy on the Job
As a follow-up to last year’s research with employers, this year we went straight to the source. So we
surveyed employees about their attitudes and actions regarding workplace wellness programs. We found that many of the things that employees want are easy to do and don’t cost a lot of money.
Programs with the highest participation rates, when offered, are:
Paid time off for doctor’s visits or health care needs: 78%, Purchasing healthy café or vending options: 67%, Attending health fairs: 67%, Participating in physical activity during work hours: 67%, Completing a health risk assessment: 66%
• The following programs had a high participation rate but were among the less
frequently offered by employers:Healthy café or vending machine options, Participating in physical activity during work hours, Completing a health risk assessment
• The much-talked about onsite fitness facility is not among the top offerings, and when
it is offered — at 18 percent of respondents’ employers — has a participation rate of
about one-third of employees. In comparison, when opportunities are offered to
exercise during the day almost two-thirds of employees take advantage.
Incentives
• Cash, prize incentives or reductions in health insurance premiums are seen as the
most effective motivating factors by employees when it relates to changing behaviors
and participating in programs such as taking a health risk assessment (HRA), getting
preventive care, and engaging in two health-improving activities: losing weight and
getting more active.
• Top motivators for the following healthy behaviors include:, Losing weight, Discount on insurance premium: 71%, Cash for either weight loss program or losing weight: 64%, Rewards or prizes for weight loss programs or weight loss: 58%, Becoming more active, Discount on insurance premium: 77%, Cash: 72, Rewards or prizes: 61%
Getting preventive care: Discount on insurance premium: 82%, Paid time off for doctor’s visits or health care needs: 78%, Cash: 71%
• Out of the 70 smokers surveyed, the following incentives were most appealing:
Quit smoking: including smoking cessation drugs in pharmacy benefit: 53%, Discount on non-smoker insurance premium: 47%, Cash: 47%, Discount on nicotine replacement therapy: 41%
Loyalty
• Employees who participated in at least one wellness program are more likely to say they
like working for their employer and are more likely to recommend their company to
others, compared with employees who don’t participate or don’t have them at their
companies.
• The following programs were all linked to higher loyalty scores as rated by employees:Paid time off for doctor’s visits, Opportunities for physical activity at the workplace, and Onsite health workshops
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina offers several wellness initiatives to improve the collective health of its employees. They focus their wellness programs on taking action, the environment in which our employees work and each employee’s awareness of their health. BCBSNC offers everything from healthy vending machine options to financial incentives that encourage behavior change.
The content of the post was reprinted from Blue Cross & Blue Sheild of North Carolina.
For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.