There is good news for companies that are interested in improving employee wellness and reducing health insurance costs: Fitbit extends corporate wellness offering with HIPAA compliant capabilities. The HIPAA compliance program will enable Fitbit Wellness to better support HIPAA-covered entities that are looking to improve the health and wellness of their members and employees.
According to the Harvard Business Review wellness programs have often been viewed as a nice extra, not a strategic imperative. Newer evidence tells a different story. With tax incentives and grants available under recent federal health care legislation, U.S. companies can use wellness programs to chip away at their enormous health care costs, which are only rising with an aging workforce.
Wellness programs also drive company culture, and attract talent. Additionally, employees want to be healthy, and it’s not just about physical well-being — mental health is a priority too. The key point is that employees want more and employers are not always meeting employee demand for access to physical activity programs, healthy food choices, and on-site gym facilities. This is where the Fitbit comes in, not only does it count steps, it tracks every part of a person’s day—including activity, exercise, food, weight and sleep—to help them stay motivated and to lead them to their end goal, step by step.