On the Radar

Notes The use and promotion of wellness programs, by health insurers and others, has been increasing. The Commonwealth Fund Issue Brief looks at the experience in Germany where participation in such programs almost doubled between 2004 and 2008, reaching one-quarter of the publicly insured population. An evaluation of one large wellness program there found that it reduced costs. Population-level survey data suggest that individuals with low incomes or poor health are less likely to enrol. This may raise issues about how to target such programs, whether they reach those who would derive the greatest benefit or tend to be utilised by the ‘worried well’ who tend to be better off. URL http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/Issue-Briefs/2012/May/MovingForward-with-Wellness-Incentives-Under-the-ACA.aspx