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Hewitt and the National Business Group on Health’s survey reveals five key insights into how workers and their dependents view health care. In order to prepare their company health care plans, it is critical to be aware of the results of the survey. Help for prescription drugs is high on the list. 

In spite of the fact that employees say they might know how to get in good physical shape, many aren’t taking action to do so. Most (84%) think making wise choices in every day life leads to good overall health, and almost three-quarters (72%) believe good health is a outcome of getting regular preventive care. Only half of the workers think they do a great or good job of eating healthy, while less than half (46%) reported doing a great or good job of exercising on a regular basis. To help with the high cost of medicines, most employees surveyed rated prescription program assistance incredibly high. 

Involvement in health programs is low, but satisfaction is high. Involvement in many employer provided health programs is not as high as many employers would like to see, even though workers and their dependents report that they know what they need to do to get and stay healthy. The most popular programs include biometric screenings (61%), followed by online health information tools (53%) and health risk questionnaires (41%). Stress management programs and employee assistance programs (EAPs) were the least popular, with just nine percent participation in each. For workers that have dependent coverage, a prescription program was the number one satisfying benefit.

Financial motivation is a strong factor in participation but non financial, internal motivators can be just as effective. Frequently, businesses assume that providing financial incentives for participating in programs will increase participation. Nearly half would complete a health-risk questionnaire (HRQ) without any incentive because it is “the right thing to do”. Twenty-nine percent would participate in a HRQ for an incentive and almost the same number would complete it if there was a penalty. In addition, 44% of the workers surveyed said they would be willing to participate in a wellness program furnished by their employer because “it’s the right thing to do”.