Employers are increasingly turning to some type of incentive program to encourage healthy behavior by their employees–and penalizing them for nonparticipation, according to a study by Midwest Business Group on Health.

"Our national survey found that over 80 percent of responding employers are utilizing some form of incentives with 41 percent using or planning to use outcomes-based incentives to increase engagement and participation as well as motivate healthy behaviors in employer-sponsored programs," Larry Boress, Midwest Business Group president and CEO, said in a statement.

And when employees don't take part, they might see increased health care premiums and coverage plan limitations, the study found. More than 37 percent of employers polled said they now rely on penalties to promote wellness with employees. 

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to BenefitsPRO, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical BenefitsPRO information including cutting edge post-reform success strategies, access to educational webcasts and videos, resources from industry leaders, and informative Newsletters.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM, BenefitsPRO magazine and BenefitsPRO.com events
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.