Privacy and Employee Wellness Programs

The focus of this recent post on The Health Care Blog seems to be that there is an ongoing debate on whether employee wellness programs intrude on privacy issues. One reason why companies adopt to these programs is because it saves them costs, both indirect and direct. New employee wellness programs focus on smoking cessation, weight management, and fitness, yet concerns are still arising from employees.

Employees are worried that health risk appraisals could end up in the hands of employers, and that they can use this information to possibly reduce benefits or other purposes. Many employee health plans are now addressing this issue by creating set privacy programs. For now, these programs are voluntary; participants usually get credited for joining by getting cash, gift cards, or discounted gym memberships.