Health Insurance Daily

IBM Holistic Approach Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles

IBM has molded a healthier workforce by offering three types of incentives at $150 each to promote preventive care, exercise and nonsmoking lifestyles.

The newest incentive, launched this year, encourages employees to complete an online health risk assessment and identify the preventive care visits and exams they need, such as a Pap smear or colonoscopy. About 63,000 of IBM's 140,000 workers have done so this year.

Workers also receive an incentive for doing 30 minutes of exercise four days per week for 10 out of 12 weeks. They log their activities on an online fitness center, where they can set workout goals, interact with fitness professionals and receive Web-based coaching to examine the individual's motivators and impediments to exercise. About 64,000 earned the exercise reward last year.

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posted by Mike @ 8:45 AM