Federal Standards for Workplace Wellness Programs

The majority of large employers that offer health benefits today also offer at least some wellness programs in an effort to promote employee health and productivity and reduce health related costs.  Workplace wellness programs vary in the services and activities they include, and about three-in-ten large employers use incentives to encourage employees to participate.  Depending on a program’s characteristics, different federal rules might apply.  Final regulations recently issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) would change standards applicable to certain workplace wellness programs that use incentives to encourage workers and their spouses to provide personal health information.  These new rules are intended to be more consistent with other standards implementing requirements in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that apply to certain workplace wellness programs.  Both rules seek to balance employer interest in incentivizing workers to participate in wellness programs against requirements that prohibit discrimination based on health status, disability, and genetic information. 

Federal Standards for Workplace Wellness Programs. 

Three federal laws directly address workplace wellness programs within the context of other broad rules that prohibit discrimination based on health status.  The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) prohibits discrimination by group health plans based on an individual’s health status.  ERISA makes exceptions for wellness programs to offer premium or cost sharing discounts based on an individual’s health status in certain circumstances.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits employment discrimination based on health status and generally forbids employers from inquiring about workers’ health status, but makes an exception for medical inquiries that are conducted as part of voluntary wellness programs.   Finally, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) prohibits employment discrimination based on genetic information and forbids employers from asking about individuals’ genetic information, including information about family members’ health status, or family history.  Like the ADA, GINA allows an exception for inquiries through voluntary wellness programs.

Source: Published May 2016 Workplace Wellness Programs Characteristics and Requirements

The Wellness Puzzle

Everyone agrees we as a nation needs to get healthier and if we don't it's going to cost us big time. After all that's the argument for the national Health Care Reform regulations whether you agree with them or not.

It's not just "our nation", it's a lot closer to home.  The big corporations, medium size businesses, and mom and pop shops are going to pay the price if they don't do something to impact employee health and quick. The work force is getting older, young people are getting sicker and company's are paying these big bills in rising insurance premiums, too many employees not working because of illness, and when they are at work they are so "stressed" they can hardly put in a full day of work. Some company's have even reported they spend more money on health care than any other expense in their company and it's driving them out of business.

The question is how to even get started and who should do it? Designing a work place wellness employee program seems complicated at best and exhausting at worst. The new Health Care Reform regulations are very specific on what is an acceptable wellness program to qualify for the premium discounts. Since most wellness programs do not quality, it's going to be a little tricky so you are going to need the help of a consultant to make sure your company is on the right track.

A consultant can help you design a program that fits into your company's mission and values along with your company's unique culture to insure your employees gain a healthier lifestyle at work and at home. A consultant will help you put the pieces of wellness together so they fit perfectly together to help your employees get healthier and your bottom line.

Your partner in health,

Wellness Consutant
Health Coach
C2 Your Health LLC

Lose Weight. Eat Healthy. What's Your Why?

Since 2009 C2 Your Health LLC has sponsored the Michiana American Heart Association Go Red for Women BetterU Luncheon held each May.  Each year for the 12 weeks previous to the luncheon   BetterU Challengers (12 women) follow the recipe for better health to reduce their heart disease risk (blood pressure, cholesterol, weight) along with reducing their risks of all chronic diseases through lifestyle modification. C2 Your Health LLC engages the participants in the same wellness programing they provide to worksites resulting in consistent improve lasting health and wellness. This year the BetterU Challengers are from Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, South Bend, IN. 

This weeks blog is from the Michiana BetterU Blog - Enjoy!

No matter what it is you want to achieve, there is one question you can ask yourself to get to the core fundamentals of your goal and massively increase your motivation.
That question is simply, “Why?”

 Glen Allsopp, How One Little Word Improve Your Motivation

Here we are at the midpoint of the Better U Challenge, 6 weeks in and 6 to go. Now is the time for a little reflection; as the famous statement goes from the movie Mission Impossible, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it" is to put into one single word what success means to you, or in other words "your why?"  

Just one word, not an essay, a paragraph, or even a sentence, just one word.  One word that's personal for you. One word with meaning and depth that goes to the core of answering the question of "why be healthy and fit for the rest of my life? One word to motivate, inspire and direct your actions as you move forward. One word that's bigger than you, and temptation to lose direction. One word to hold you accountable.  

To read the rest to the BetterU Blogspot click here 

Your partner in health,

 

Cindy Cohen, RN 

Wellness Consultant

C2 Your Health LLC

Challenge Yourself to Get Healthy It’s a Win Win - Northern Indiana Community KENKO Challenge adds Competition to Health and Wellness

PRESS RELEASE

South Bend, IN March 16, 2013: C2 Your Health LLC of South Bend, Indiana is partnering with Columbus Chamber of Commerce and joining Shelby County Chamber of Commerce KENKO Challenge of Ohio to bring a spring community KENKO Challenge to Northern Indiana. The Community Spring Northern Indiana KENKO Challenge will help our community by increasing awareness of healthy behaviors, eating healthy to lose weight, what to eat that’s healthy, exercise to be fit, exercise to lose weight and reduce stress in the workplace.

The KENKO Challenge was developed by the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and explains “KENKO, as meaning “health” in Japanese, it is a workplace wellness team-based challenge with the objective of implementing a fun and engaging approach to creating healthy changes in behaviors and the workplace. KENKO combines mobile, online, print, and social media.”

The Northern Indiana KENKO Challenge is a 9-week worksite wellness program that promotes competition among the participating teams to create healthy changes in their lifestyle. The challenge is available to all interested small businesses, organizations, large companies, and individuals. Each team must be composed of 2-10 members. Team members will participate in various challenges that focus on increasing their personal health awareness, improving their nutrition, promoting a healthy work environment, and increasing awareness about their personal health. Registration ends April 9th, 2013 the challenge begins just after spring break, runs between April 15th – June 15th  2013  just in time for summer.

According to Corporate Wellness Magazine Workplace Wellness  ““Challenges” - activities that engage people in becoming happier, healthier, and more energetic at work - are gaining popularity and changing lives at work.  The purpose of Challenges is to encourage healthier lifestyle behaviors.  Challenges are successful when a supportive, positive climate of fun and camaraderie helps people to adopt or maintain a healthy way of living.  With little or no investment in creating a company challenge, the net result is an engaged and productive workforce that performs at a higher level – everybody wins!”

Cindy Cohen RN, health consultant and owner of C2 Your Health LLC says “creating teams that compete against each other fuels excitement, provides people with like interests support each other, increases success and is loads of fun!”

click here to read the rest of the press release