News & Information

CCH® HR MANAGEMENT — 08/20/07

Survey reveals less than one-third of employees trust their health insurance plan to provide wellness services

Only 27 percent of employees said they trust their health insurance plan to provide wellness services, according to a recent Tell It NowSM poll from ComPsych, a provider of employee assistance programs and leader in GuidanceResources (EAPs, behavioral health, work-life, wellness and crisis intervention services).

"The survey results brought insights into how employees view different benefits providers," said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych. "Employees know that wellness programs handle their private and highly personal health information. In the survey, the concept of trust caused employees to gravitate not to the health insurance plan even though they may more closely associate it with health and wellness but to the answer of 'employee assistance program' (EAP). This is perhaps because EAPs are known for their handling of sensitive and confidential information, and for building relationships with employees based on trust."

Employees were asked: Who would you trust most as a provider of wellness services (which includes health risk assessments and coaching on personal health, weight loss, tobacco cessation, etc.)? Of the 1,000 respondents, 51 percent said an employee assistance program; 27 percent said a health insurance plan; 14 percent said a disease management provider; and eight percent said a pharmaceutical benefit manager.

For additional information on this and other HR topics, consult CCH Human Resources Management or Personnel Practices/Communications.

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