Experience with employer-sponsored wellness programs?

[Tomas]

My employer just started offering a free wellness program (https://www.onlifehealth.com/ ). The employees get some incentives to join (such as "Complete a Health Assessment and Biometric Screening to earn $25 gift card. Earn points and be eligible for a $250 gift card drawing each quarter.").

Does Anybody have any experience with such programs? (I would definitely benefit from a personal trainer, but I am a little bit concerned about sharing my health data with somebody who is not my doctor.)

[steelhammer]

We have a version of this at my work through our insurance company. If you don't complete it, you pay a higher deductible. If you do complete it, you get $125 (before taxes, etc.) or a day off from work (the day before or after Thanksgiving). Most people put very little thought into it and just do the bare minimum necessary to complete it. If they are offering free gym memberships and or personal training, I would definitely take them up on it. Not sure how the data you provide would ever be used against you?

[Gaucho]

Blackjack and hookers!

[Kraftster]

My wife has something like this at her office. They do all kinds of things like what you mentioned. I don't believe I've heard of anyone running into any PHI problems.

[shafnutz05]

My wife's company does this, and I adhere to it

[npv708]

Earlier this year my company paid for us to have a month of Zumba instruction, they even flew in a specialist from Maine to lead the classes.

[columbia]

Blackjack and hookers!

Are you James Bond?

[Gaucho]

Blackjack and hookers!

Are you James Bond?

Hmmm... try again.

[shafnutz05]

Bender

[Gaucho]

[Troy Loney]

I signed up for ours cause they gave you money. I tried to go through with the counseling to get the other portion of the money but it was kind of a joke. Our program was over the phone, dietary and wellness advice over the phone doesn't really work.

[no name]

It takes a over an hour to fill out the damn forms online, then once its done they give you ways to imporve yourself. I answered the questions honestly i thought i was a rather mild person. The report made me sound like a loose canon who could die at any time for any number of health reasons.

We get a co-pay reduction if we fill out the forms.

[no name]

It takes a over an hour to fill out the damn forms online, then once its done they give you ways to imporve yourself. I answered the questions honestly i thought i was a rather mild person. The report made me sound like a loose canon who could die at any time for any number of health reasons.

We get a co-pay reduction if we fill out the forms.

[Digitalgypsy66]

We've started one here where I work - I just signed up for it. It reduces my payment and gives me discounts on gym membership, vitamins, and so on. Interesting how these are now cropping up...

[Troy Loney]

We've started one here where I work - I just signed up for it. It reduces my payment and gives me discounts on gym membership, vitamins, and so on. Interesting how these are now cropping up...

It's a way for the insurance companies to get more information on their clients and better price the policies (I believe). I'm not sure if these costs get passed along to the employees or not.

[DelPen]

We get extra deposits into our HRA's for taking online surveys and getting baseline testing.

[blackjack68]

Blackjack and hookers!

Here!

[Gaucho]

Blackjack and hookers!

Here!

Great! So, uh, where's the... rest?

[llipgh2]

I signed up for ours cause they gave you money. I tried to go through with the counseling to get the other portion of the money but it was kind of a joke. Our program was over the phone, dietary and wellness advice over the phone doesn't really work.

We have to:

1. Get a free biometrics screening

2. Sign a form saying we don't smoke/quit smoking

3. Talk to a "health" coach at least once

To get a significant discount on insurance. That's the extent of our "wellness" program.

Things we had in place (and still have) prior to the wellness kick are more beneficial. We have Weight Watchers meetings on site, on site yoga classes, "From Couch to 5K in 6 weeks" fitness classes on site, and discounted memberships to the local Y.

[CBear3]

A lot like that.

Score X number of points and the company picks up a higher percentage of your contribution to your insurance (or a check for a similar amount if you don't use the company sponsored plan)

Half of it is a Wellness Check (BMI, BP, cholesterol) combine with a Health Assessment Survey.
The other half of the points you get by participating in vaious health quizes, health challenges (be active for 30 minutes a day, eat three meals and get 7 hours of sleep a day, kind of stuff), and other activities (donate blood, participate in the weekly yoga class, play on a rec team/run in 5k).

They'll also pick up some of the cost for your monthly gym membership, but that's seperate from the program.

[eddysnake]

fill out some online questionnaire for me and me wife once a year and save 2.5% or something like that towards health insurance payment. form takes about 5 minutes, and it tells me because I smoked 15 years ago for a year I need to exercise and will never reach 100% health status! Seems completely ridiculous, but it saves me some bucks so what the hell

[JS©]

we're supposed to get a gym in our next building, which isn't due to break ground for another year

[AlexPKeaton]

Luckily my company simply pays for a gym membership and doesn't do any of this shenanigans.

[mikey287]

My friend did this through his work...they set him up with a workout regimen, a new diet (organic, no dairy, the whole bit)...says he feels great and his asthma went away (on account of not drinking milk from another mammal anymore...which is gross...we're clearly not supposed to do that...), so if you're into getting healthy (actually into it, not just the idea of it), then go for it! If you're rather indifferent, skip it...