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Workplace wellness programs: How regulatory flexibility may undermine success
The government encourages employers to consider best practices recommended by the Community Preventive Service Task Force. The presentation will recommend that the government should reassess its role in this area as follows. The government should strengthen the Task Force to foster strong national recommendations for workplace programs. The government should establish an innovation time period to build the evidence base for both health efficacy and cost savings and then ultimately require, rather than encourage, the use of evidence-based practices recommended by the Task Force. The government can grandfather in existing programs to minimize disruption and opposition. Finally, employer evaluation will be key.
Learning Areas:
Occupational health and safetyPlanning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Learning Objectives:
Differentiate between health-contingent wellness programs and participatory wellness programs.
Describe the “reasonable design” requirement for health-contingent wellness programs.
Evaluate how the government can enhance efficacy of workplace wellness programs in terms of health and financial gains.
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Policy chair of the Law Section of APHA. I have a JD, MPH and am an Assistant Professor of Public Health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.