Wellness programs, preventative health, chronic condition management and other types of heath management programs within health care plans are falling well short, and so employers are increasingly looking to third-party vendors for more effective programs, according to the Accenture report, “Do employee health & wellness programs need a shot in the arm?”

“Clearly, health plans are failing to reach and have impact on people through their current health and wellness products, and they must rethink how they design, market, and operate these products or risk being carved out of this business,” the authors write.

Accenture surveyed 3,001 employees across the country, and found that utilization and awareness of health and wellness programs offered by health plans was extremely low -- 62 percent of employees were unaware of basic services, such as a provider finder. In addition, less than 10 percent were aware of any other programs offered.

Other factors play into low utilization. When asked why they are not using health and wellness programs, 40 percent of employees report it is because “one or more components of my wellness program offered by my employer are not relevant to me” or “has no apparent value” and 26 percent of employees report the program is “too difficult” or “takes too much time.”

“Such insights are causing employers to look toward third parties that can deliver on rising expectations,” the authors write.

Among employers surveyed, 79 percent selected third-party solutions over health plans. Nearly 44 percent of employers chose a program from a third party instead of a health plan because they felt one or more components was considered more valuable than the carrier offering.

Another problem is that most plan-sponsored health and wellness programs lack relevant digital access. Less than 50 percent of employees report having access to these programs via their computers and less than 25 percent report access via their mobile device.

“Health plans are missing the boat on engagement,” the authors write. “Many of today’s employees want to interact digitally, as they do in their everyday lives.”

Employees engage more with health and wellness programs when there is a digital engagement channel, according to earlier Accenture research. For instance, people who engage digitally respond they access the program weekly -- 70 percent from a mobile device and 40 percent from a computer.

Health and wellness programs are so important to employees some respond that they will pay for them, survey respondents say. Top programs where employees responded they would be willing to pay include: biometric (34 percent); fitness devices (31 percent); behavioral tracking (26 percent); maternity coaching (25 percent); and mental health (24 percent).

Other business-to-consumer and third-party models in the marketplace are meeting these digital demands, according to the report. Digital behavior change program Omada helps users lose weight and reduce their risk of chronic disease through programs that seamlessly integrate with users’ everyday lives across interaction channels.

On-demand healthcare concierge Accolade, which offers mobile, web and telephonic solutions, touts 70 percent engagement and 98 percent consumer satisfaction. Ovia Health, which offers mobile fertility, pregnancy and maternity programs, states 95 percent of enrolled employees engage in benefits content via the company’s app.

“If health plans fail to develop digitally accessible products and services that engage consumers and deliver value, they are at risk of losing market share,” the authors write.

The report outlines three tips to help health plans modify their health and wellness products to be designed to better appeal to employees’ desires for relevant, multi-channel services that are digitally enabled:

Know your customer’s customer. Employers are listening to what employees want, and health plans should listen, too. Understand what key features are most important, what programs are most desired and how employees would want to access programs. For employers measuring success based on employee engagement, these programs must be digitally enabled and user-friendly to promote use.
Be future ready. Emerging digital trends are influencing the way services are delivered—and the landscape changes every day. Look to the developing trend of artificial intelligence as the new user interface through which voice interfaces and chatbots help solve engagement issues. Also, there is a rising need to manage for individuals, not populations. Artificial intelligence for the enterprise can provide insights into how to modify or expand services, and it can yield opportunities for better personalization through a continuous learning loop. The key is to continually iterate to keep pace with changing demands.
Tap into the “ecosystem.” Creating leading-edge digital solutions isn’t a core capability for all health plans, so determine the best path forward. Does it make sense to develop a solution, partner with others and white label, or have an open system where the health plan can collaborate with a number of other providers for services ranging from analytics to security to digital marketing?

Instant Insights /

Digital engagement increases wellness plan utilization

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