Consumers Will Pay for Wellness Services

A fascinating new survey from Deliotte Consulting has valuable insights into consumers' views of wellness. Apparently they want wellness services so much that they are willing to pay for those services--if they result in lower copays and premiums.

Which is interesting: Like companies, consumers will "invest" in wellness programs provided they demonstrate ROI.

Details from the wellness portion of the Deliotte survey: [I've put the findings most applicable to corporate wellness programs in bold.]

"Consumers will pay more for health plan services that include preventive health provisions such as wellness programs, nurse call lines, health coaching and management of chronic care - if that increase translates into lower premiums or co-pays. Emerging attitudes toward expansion of preventive health programs also dovetails with the growing number of companies that are rewarding workers for taking better care."

• 17 percent of consumers report participating in a wellness program offered by their employer, insurance company or health plan in the last 24 months
• 83 percent express interest in participating in a wellness program offered by their employer, insurance company or health plan that would entitle them to reduced premiums or lower co-pays
• 65 percent of consumers say they are interested in participating in a wellness program sponsored by their insurance company or health plan, and 26 percent are willing to pay extra for the opportunity
• 61 percent of consumers want tools that would provide personalized recommendations to improve their health and 55 percent of consumers are interested in tools that would help them assess, monitor or manage their health (12 percent would pay extra for these tools)
• 53 percent of consumers are interested in using a health/lifestyle coach (5 percent would pay extra for one)
• 1 in 2 consumers report taking preventive measures such as exercising and eating a healthier diet to reduce their need for health care, and 1 in 3 report doing so to lower the cost of health care for themselves or their families.

The report is must-read material for champions of corporate wellness programs. Here are some details about how the Deliotte healthcare survey was done.