Despite a challenging economic environment, U.S. companies continue to view health care benefits as a vital part of their workplace “deal” with employees and are enlisting their active participation in efforts to improve workforce health and control program costs, according to a Towers Perrin survey of nearly 500 HR and benefit executives.

According to Towers Perrin, over half (53 percent) in the survey say they are trying or considering new benefit strategies they would not have considered otherwise. Almost three-quarters (70 percent) of employers are increasing communication to address employee concerns, and more than half (57 percent) say they are not cutting back on investments in benefit communication and education. The survey also finds that 50 percent of companies have or will introduce/increase investments in wellness and health promotion in 2009 and 2010, and 41 percent have or will introduce/increase investments in care/disease management programs. Many employers are increasing incentives to ensure their employees will participate in the programs; nearly one in three companies (32 percent) in the survey have or will introduce or increase financial incentives for wellness or health promotion activities in 2009 and 2010, and another 30 percent are considering this action. Employers are also getting tougher on employees who opt out: nearly half of the companies (45 percent) in the survey have, will or are considering introducing or increasing penalties for nonparticipation in wellness or health promotion activities.

“Employers recognize that we can't keep doing the same things and expect different results. So we're beginning to see leading companies taking steps to change the system from the inside out, focusing on new benefit designs, incentives for employees and providers, new technologies and new ways to measure and deliver the value of workforce health,” Towers Perrin spokesman Dave Guilmette says.