Wellness programs: well-intentioned or intrusive?

A panel discussion about the impact of employer-sponsored wellness programs generated lively debate Feb. 28 at the ILR Conference Center in Manhattan. Such programs are encouraged under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a way to reduce health risks and, ultimately, health care costs. Regulations on incentives, not yet tested in the courts, went into effect in August 2013. More than 60 percent of employers have implemented wellness initiatives. But, less than 20 percent of eligible workers participate in wellness interventions like smoking cessation programs. Some employees, particularly those represented by collective bargaining agreements, have begun to push back against intrusive wellness program questions.