More Employers Use Incentives to Improve Health & Wellness, Survey Shows

U.S. employers are increasingly relying on incentives to drive participation in health programs and encouraging workers and their families to take better care of themselves, according to findings of a survey by Aon Hewitt.

The survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. employers found that 84% offer incentives to employees for participating in a health risk questionnaire (HRQ) and 64% offer an incentive for participation in biometric screenings. Just over half (51%) provide incentives to those who participate in health improvement and wellness programs. Monetary incentives, in particular, have seen a sharp increase: In 2012, 59% of employers used monetary incentives to promote participation in health and wellness programs, compared to 37% in 2011, while the use of monetary incentives for participating in disease/condition management programs rose from 17% in 2011 to 54% in 2012.

According to Aon Hewitt, the survey also shows more employers linking incentives to a result, rather than just participation. “To truly impact employee behavior change, more and more organizations realize they need to closely tie rewards to outcomes and better results rather than just enrollment," says Aon Hewitt’s Jim Winkler.