An Employer's Quick Guide to Wellness Benefits

There's no doubt about it—when it comes to staying healthy, the struggle is real. We know we should try to eat healthy and stay active as we age. We also know that not taking healthy lifestyle steps can lead to chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Yet, these diseases affect 6 in 10 American adults.¹

Now, employers are doing their part to support the effort to get healthy. The American workforce has seen a rise in wellness programs, which not only help with disease prevention and awareness, but also can cultivate a more inclusive company culture and help you stand out to job candidates looking for a health-focused work environment.

Promoting employee wellness goes beyond on-site yoga and step challenges. You can also support employee health by choosing to offer supplemental insurance plans that include wellness benefits.

What Are Wellness Benefits?

Wellness benefits are services that promote continued health and well-being for an insured. These benefits may be partially or totally eligible for reimbursement by an insurance carrier.

Covered services can vary widely depending on the carrier and product selected. At Allstate Benefits, we offer employers several optional riders that promote wellness as part of our Critical Illness and Accident products.

Wellness riders may include the following benefits:

• Health screenings – This may include reimbursement for services like biopsies for cancer, chest X-rays, colonoscopies, ultrasounds, blood tests for cancer antigens, and more. Certain vaccinations may also be covered.
• Lifestyle enhancements – These could help pay for weight management programs, tobacco or alcohol cessation programs, fitness challenges and even financial wellness courses.
• Preventive care services – This can help pay for certain examinations, dental care, or vision care performed by a licensed provider.

How Can I Remind Employees About These Benefits?

Life is busy, and remembering to use their wellness benefits is not typically a high priority for employees. So, here are a few ideas to help them remember:

1. Pre-open enrollment wellness event – Whether virtual or on-site, a wellness event is a great way to promote programs available to employees ahead of open enrollment. Events can help to drum up interest in supplemental insurance and answer any questions about available wellness benefits.
2. Year-round wellness email campaign – Employers can keep wellness benefits on the minds of employees with a monthly email campaign that encourages them to use their available benefits. For example, with June being Skin Cancer Awareness Month, you might use that month to send a "get screened" email and include a note that it may be reimbursed by their supplemental insurance.
3. Wellness ambassadors – A great way to encourage employees to use their wellness benefits is through their own peers! A committee of employee health ambassadors might share inspiring stories, provide support and spread facts to other employees on how preventive care can improve health—maybe even save a life.

Whether you offer wellness incentives through supplemental insurance, fitness challenges, healthy cooking classes, or any other program, communicating the details to employees is vital. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a great guide with ideas to help employees engage in these programs. Click here to check it out.

Helping employees take full advantage of their supplemental insurance benefits is a true win-win for both employers and employees.

Allstate Benefits supplemental insurance products give employees the protection they want while keeping your bottom line in mind. Our supplemental offerings are employee-paid but feature great group rates and convenient payroll deduction.

Explore Allstate Benefits products that provide optional wellness riders, including Critical Illness Insurance and Accident Insurance.

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