Lawmakers in Massachusetts have passed a bill that will reward businesses for launching wellness programs.
Supporters hope that the new legislation will encourage additional employers to institute and maintain such programs, with favorable results for employee health. Some, particularly smaller and medium-sized businesses, may have held off on creating wellness initiatives despite their potential benefits out of concern for the expense, among other causes. Designing effective programs is also a significant challenge, particularly since they are a relatively recent phenomenon and experience with them is limited as a result.
Some companies have met with success after tying their wellness programs to their employee benefit offerings, rather than just creating the program in isolation. Connecting and combining different efforts that impact employee health may render them more effective. The Massachusetts law helps employers by granting tax credits for those with wellness programs. Small businesses, in particular, may also be eligible for health insurance premium discounts.
There were mixed reactions to the bill, with many lauding its goals but some objecting to its source of funding, namely a tax on insurers and some larger hospitals. Opponents argued that these expenses would, indirectly, lead to higher healthcare costs and negate the benefits.
