Virtually all American companies with over 1,000 employees have wellness plans. Common wisdom has it that they make people healthier and loser costs. This feature article investigated those claims and found that wellness plans offer fewer benefits — and pose far more risks — than is commonly believed. Some plans are coercive and compromise patient confidentiality. Others, while well-intentioned, do little to improve employee health. And there’s little evidence that wellness plans save money for employers. Still, as our investigation showed, well-designed plans can improve morale and may, over the long term, help employees stay healthier.
