Good, Clear Guidance on HIPAA and Wellness

After all that wellness-program bashing of the last couple of weeks in other media, today I'm delighted to report that there is an excellent, simple, well-written, four-page document that explains how to build a wellness plan that's HIPAA-compliant.

Susan Relland, an attorney with Miller & Chevalier in Washington, D.C. has put together the report, which states very plainly what requirements a wellness program needs to meet. Topics covered:

• Carrot vs. stick approaches
• Rewarding participation rather than outcomes
• Limits of rewards permissible
• Making alternatives available for people whose situations prevent them from participating in a certain aspect of a program

It's definitely worth bookmarking or printing out for your files.