Workers' Compensation: Kaiser Permanente, Unions Launch New Employee Wellness Program

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Kaiser Permanente, Unions Launch New Employee Wellness Program

Organized Labor is improving worker health by encouraging wellness program, a counterbalance to the erosion of workers' compensation pre-existing disease limitations. Today's post was shared by votersinjuredatwork and comes from www.californiahealthline.org

Kaiser Permanente and the 29 unions that represent its employees in California and eight other regions have teamed up to offer incentive payments to groups of workers who improve their health, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Details of Program

Under the voluntary program, Kaiser's 133,000 workers could earn up to $500 each if participants in their region collectively:

Lose weight;
Lower blood pressure;
Lower cholesterol; and
Stop smoking.

All employees -- even those who choose not to participate -- will be eligible for payouts if:

75% of workers in their region complete an online health survey, which would earn $150 incentive payments for all employees in that region;
85% of workers in their region update their baseline screenings for weight, smoking, cholesterol and blood pressure, which would earn $150 payments for all workers in that region; and
There is an average 1.7% improvement and no declines across such measures by December 2014, which would earn $200 for all employees in that region.

The program does not apply to doctors, dentists and executives, but it does include both union and non-union employees.
Kaiser will issue all payouts in 2015. The total cost of the program could reach $66.5 million, according to the Bee.

Comments From Kaiser

Kathy Gerwig -- vice president of employee safety, health and wellness at Kaiser -- said the program is "very inclusive of everybody" and will "drive the culture toward healthier work environments and camaraderie around getting healthier."
She...

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