affordable care act Archives - Page 3 of 3

Companies trying to keep budget lines trim with wellness programs

Craig Lovelace for Business First Kathleen Herath has advice for companies crafting a wellness program for employees: “Always make sure the lawyers are present.” Sounds ominous, but Herath, who oversees wellness efforts at Nationwide Insurance, said a lot goes into customizing programs to meet the needs of workers but not run afoul of the law. “If you ... put it together in a mindful manner, it is much easier to maintain,” said Herath, associate vice president of health and productivity. Five years ago, Nationwide revamped its wellness program and developed MyHealth for its employees across the country. It always had elements of a wellness plan – such as smoking cessation, nutritional and exercise programs – but Herath said it was never a coordinated effort. Nationwide assembled a diverse team to develop a plan that was legal and worthy of the [...]

For wellness waverers, tax break might do the trick

Shannon Mortland for Crain's Cleveland Many companies have shied away from wellness programs that aim to prompt employees to live healthier lifestyles, but that could be about to change. In July, Congress began considering the Healthy Workforce Act of 2007, which would provide tax breaks to companies that offer robust wellness programs to employees. Through the act, the government hopes to reduce health care spending and therefore free up more money to flow into the economy. And some believe the effort just might work. Dr. Ron Golovan, medical director of Beachwood-based wellness pro-vider Be Well Solutions, said many small and mid-size companies are starting to think about wellness, a concept that mostly has been reserved for large corporations that stand to save a lot of money. Though a tax incentive isn’t the best reason to start a wellness program, it [...]