Calif. Employers Adopt Wellness Plans To Combat Rising Health Costs

Many California employers have implemented worker wellness programs in an effort to reduce health care costs and improve employees' overall health, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.

The report was conducted between May 2013 and June 2013. Researchers surveyed 380 SHRM members in California and 440 SHRM members from across the U.S. (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 4/30).

National Findings

About 44% of employers in the U.S. said they increased employees' contributions to address rising health care costs, according to the report (SHRM release, 4/23)

Meanwhile, about 72% of companies nationally offered employee wellness programs or resources, and participation in such programs increased over the past year for about 56% of companies (Sacramento Business Journal, 4/30).

California Findings

The survey found that about 79% of California employers expressed concern about keeping health care costs under control.

In the state, 61% of companies offered employee wellness programs or resources.

Of California companies that offered wellness programs:

• 76% said the initiatives improved workers' overall physical health; and
• 63% said the initiatives helped reduce health care costs (SHRM release, 4/23).

In addition, about 49% of California companies also offered wellness rewards, and 89% of those companies said the incentives helped to boost participation in wellness programs.

Participation in wellness programs increased over the past year for 54% of California companies, according to the survey (Sacramento Business Journal, 4/30).