BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

According to a new employer survey conducted by Fidelity Investments and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH), corporate employers plan to spend an average of $521 per employee on wellness-based incentives within corporate health care programs. This marks an increase of 13 percent from the average of $460 reported for 2011, and is double the per employee average of $260 reported in 2009.

The survey is the latest in a series of studies Fidelity and the NBGH have conducted since 2009 to analyze the growth of health-improvement programs, or wellness programs, in the workplace. These programs typically consist of condition-management services (e.g., managing insulin treatments), lifestyle-management services (e.g., weight loss advice), health-risk management services (e.g., on-site flu shots), and environmental enhancements (e.g., bike racks, walking paths).

In addition to an increase in the average amount employers plan to spend on wellness incentives, the survey found that the overall use of wellness-based incentives among corporate employers continues to increase. The study found that nearly nine-out-of ten employers surveyed indicated that they currently offer wellness-based incentives (86%), an increase from 73 percent from 2011 and 57 percent from 2009.

And while the percent of corporate employers offering wellness-based incentives has increased across all markets, the survey results illustrated significant growth in the mid-market, where 77 percent of employers plan to offer wellness-based incentives in 2013, and more than double the 38 percent of mid-market employers that offered wellness-based incentives in 2010. In addition, almost half of employers in the mid-market (45%) plan to offer average incentives of more than $500 per employee.

As the cost of providing health care continues to increase, employers recognize one of the key ways to manage their companys costs is to incent their workforce to lead a healthier lifestyle, said Adam Stavisky, senior vice president of Fidelitys Benefits Consulting business, which commissioned the study with NBGH. Employers of all sizes have embraced wellness-based incentives to help control costs, and companies are now looking at ways to design and optimize their programs to maximize their positive impact on health for both the organization and employees.

Employers Tying Employee Eligibilityto Completion of Risk Assessment or Biometric Testing

The study also showed that 15% of employers surveyed are requiring employees to complete some sort of health activity such as an employer-sponsored biometric screening or health risk assessment (HRA) in order to determine their eligibility for one or all of the company's health plans in 2013. The survey results showed that 10 percent of employers will be requiring employees to complete an HRA or risk being defaulted into a less attractive subset of the company's health plan, while 7 percent of employers indicatedfailure to complete a biometric screening would result in being defaulted into a less attractive subset of their company's health plan. In addition, 3 percent of employers indicated that failure to complete anHRA or biometric screening wouldresult in loss of benefits for 2013.

Companies Continue to Tailor Programs to Increase Participation, Reward Behavior

This years survey found that an increasing number of employers are actively managing and expanding their wellness programs and offering incentives designed to increase participation and encourage positive behavior. The most popular wellness-based incentives continue to be a decrease in premiums (61%), cash or gift cards (55%) or an employer-sponsored contribution to a Health Savings Account or similar heath care-based savings vehicle (27%).

Originally posted here:

New Health Care Survey Finds Spending on Wellness Incentives Has Doubled in the Last Four Years