Wellness programs that do more than reduce the cost of insurance.

There’s no doubt about it, today’s wellness programs go a long way in helping employees to reduce the incidence of illness, number of sick days used, the management of chronic illness and the cost of insurance to the employer. But it doesn’t end there. For Diversified Benefits Group clients, implementing wellness programs also improves employee productivity, workplace morale and even employee retention.

Wellness programs are most effective when developed specifically for your organization and your employees. They also require the buy-in and support of everyone in the organization – including management and supervisory staff. Here are some of the elements of successful wellness programs developed by Diversified Benefits Group:

Biometric Screenings

Every good wellness program starts with biometrics or blood data. They help to make employees aware or their individual health risks and also provide employers with valuable baseline data to measure the effectiveness of programs. At Diversified, biometric screenings form the very foundation on which all of our programs begin.

Advocacy

Wellness programs are ultimately about helping people to change harmful or risky behaviors. To make them successful, advocacy is important to providing support, offering access to resources and giving positive reinforcement to encourage behavior change.

Coaching

Available to employees, spouses and other dependents, coaching makes it easier for people to adopt healthier behaviors by integrating it across workplace and home. Customized to each participant. Ongoing communication and access to coaches through phone, e-mail, messaging and in-person increases the likelihood they’ll get on track and stay on track

Incentives

When you add incentives to your wellness program, you reinforce the positive benefits of participation. And the incentives offered don’t have to break the bank – gift cards for electronics or sporting equipment, paid time off or points that can be earned and redeemed in any number of ways all encourage employees to track their progress and remain active in the program.

Plan Language Modification

Changing the actual language of your plan takes the guesswork out of an employee’s decision to change they way they use certain benefits. For example, by increasing the benefit amount for using a freestanding facility for diagnostic imaging, instead of a hospital, will help to steer the employee to a lower-cost option. The same holds true with rewards that encourage employees to quit smoking, lose weight, lower cholesterol and other behavior. Diversified can help you with wording to make benefits clear to employees and remain compliant with Affordable Care Act requirements. 

Integrated Disease Management

Preventing and managing chronic conditions is a key area for lowering the cost of health care. As part of a wellness program, at-risk employees receive a combination of education and action steps that can be tracked by healthcare providers or self-reporting tools delivered online. In addition, workplace screenings, supportive workplace environments and ongoing reinforcements improve success.

Telephonic Doctor Visits

An affordable alternative to in-office physician visits, telephonic physician consultations are ideal for non-emergency situations, routine medical care or prescriptions. Employees and their dependents can speak with a board-certified physician without co-pays, deductibles or a trip to the office. 

EAP

Connect employees with confidential access to professionals who can assist them with a broad range of expertise – from mental health, parenting and eldercare, to financial advice, legal assistance and more. Employee Assistance Programs go a long way in addressing situations either at home or at work that impact their effectiveness and ability to deal with the demands of daily life. Usually resolved within a few sessions, they provide resolution to issues sooner and can provide a referral for more specialized support if necessary.

Wellness programs are critical to your ability to reduce the cost of employee benefits, while you benefit from improved productivity. Your Diversified Benefits Group associate can give you examples of how they’ve worked for our other clients. Contact your associate today.