Aon Hewitt Survey Shows Use of Incentives Grows as U.S. Employers Look to Improve Workforce Health and Productivity

News provided by

Aug 08, 2012, 09:00 ET

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Aug. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. employers are increasingly relying on incentives to drive participation in health programs and encouraging employees and their families to take better care of themselves, according to new survey findings from Aon Hewitt, the global human resource solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE:AON).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110901/CG60760-a)

Aon Hewitt's survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. employers representing over 20 million U.S. employees and their dependents found that 84 percent now offer employees incentives for participating in a health risk questionnaire (HRQ) and almost two-thirds (64 percent) offer an incentive for participation in biometric screenings. Just over half (51 percent) provide incentives to employees who participate in health improvement and wellness programs. The use of monetary incentives, in particular, has increased dramatically over the past year. In 2012, 59 percent of employers used monetary incentives to promote participation in wellness and health improvement programs, up from 37 percent in 2011. The use of monetary incentives for participating in disease/condition management programs almost tripled in 2012, from 17 percent in 2011 to 54 percent

Aon Hewitt's survey shows a growing number of employers are beginning to link incentives to a result, as opposed to simply participating in a program. Of companies that offer incentives, 58 percent offer some form of incentive for completing lifestyle modification programs, such as quitting smoking or losing weight. About one-quarter offer incentives for progress or attainment made towards meeting acceptable ranges for biometric measures such as blood pressure, body mass index, blood sugar and cholesterol.

"Programs and tools like HRQs and biometric screenings can make employees more aware of their health status and of the opportunities to improve their health, but alone they won't move the needle when it comes to health improvement and mitigating cost," said Jim Winkler, chief innovation officer for Health & Benefits at Aon Hewitt. "Incentives solely tied to participation tend to become entitlement programs, with employees expecting to be rewarded without any sense of accountability for better health. 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."

Employers also are requiring more of participants in order for them to be eligible for enhanced benefits, such as value-based insurance designs (VBID). Of the 46 percent of organizations that incorporate some type of VBID approach in their health plans, almost one in three require completion of a HRQ or require participation in a program such as disease management or smoking cessation programs to receive the enhanced benefits. This is a 33 percentage point increase from 2011, where nine out of 10 employers did not impose any requirements.

Despite increased employer interest in tying incentives to results, Aon Hewitt's survey shows room for improvement. More than 80 percent of employers provide an incentive to complete a health questionnaire, yet less than 10 percent provide an incentive to address the results of the questionnaire. Additionally, more than 60 percent of employers provide an incentive to complete biometric screening, but less than 10 percent provide an incentive to take any action.

"Employers know that eight health behaviors, including risks such as lack of physical activity and failure to complete recommended preventive screenings, drive 15 chronic conditions that lead to higher medical costs and increased absence from work. An effective incentive strategy rewarding those who take action to improve their health is fundamental for improving health and reducing cost," said Stephanie Pronk, clinical health improvement leader for Health & Benefits at Aon Hewitt.

Sign up for News Alerts: http://aon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=58
Follow Aon Hewitt on Twitter @AonHewitt

About Aon Hewitt
Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions. The company partners with organizations to solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and improve business performance. Aon Hewitt designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and talent management strategies. With more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees. For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 61,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world's best broker, best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com for more information on Aon and www.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon's global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester United.