Worcester Business Journal

Massachusetts' Healthy Actions program. F&M is now one of 2,000 Massachusetts companies where they and their employees receive financial incentives for partic- ipation, with dollars awarded increasing as the per- centage of employees participating goes up. The requirements are relatively simple: See a doctor for an annual physical, and the employee automatical- ly earns a $100 gift card. If metrics, like weight, cho- lesterol and blood pressure, are normal, the employee receives $300. Those who need to take action to become more healthy can earn the additional $200 if the offend- ing metric is resolved by the end of the health insurance plan year. Employee health information is not shared with the employer. Meanwhile, the employer receives a refund on annual pre- mium costs, based on participa- tion rates. If less than 50 percent of employees participate, the company receives a 1.25-percent credit. That figure rises to 2.5 percent with 50- to 80-percent participation, and to 7.5 percent with 80-percent participation or higher. F&M Tool and Die is now receiving the maximum credit, with 80-percent participation. Facing skeptics "The first year was relatively slow. We only had about 40-percent participation," Gasbarro said. The skepticism among employees was to be expect- ed, Gasbarro said. Longtime machinists didn't make it to the doctor on annual basis. But once word spread among the tight-knit group some were receiving $300 after seeing the doctor, the program started to take off. Gasbarro said he's used the premiums savings to 10 Worcester Business Journal | October 16, 2017 | wbjournal.com Small businesses are scaling back their insurance premiums by offering wellness incentives to employees BY EMILY MICUCCI Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer Michael Gasbarro, owner, F&M Tool and Die Healthy savings W ellness benefits in the workplace are going beyond lunchtime yoga classes and healthy snacks in the breakroom, as more small busi- nesses are using programs to con- trol their insurance costs. With about 20 employees, Michael Gasbarro's F&M Tool and Die – which makes injection molds for the plastics industry – has little leverage in negotiating health insurance premium rates with insurers. But encouraging wellness among his workforce was one way Gasbarro, who owns the company, could manage insurance costs. About three years ago, F&M Tool and Die became of the early adopters of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Employers can help workers be healthy Wellness benefits are the fastest-growing employee benefit offered by companies, with the Centers for Disease Control saying programs are proven to improve employees' stamina and morale. When polled, WBJ readers said offering some kind of incentive was in the best interest of their company. F L A S H P O L L How do you keep your employees healthy? COMMENTS: It's not the employer's responsibility to ensure employees are living a healthy lifestyle. "We have incentives in the form of a competition among teams at the office to see which team exercises the most." keep employee contribution costs level, as competitors have had to raise employee premium costs as the cost of health insurance rises. He's purchased two standing workstations for employees who spend much of their day at desk, and added other wellness perks, like offer- ing chiropractic posture screenings and massages dur- ing the workday. In addition to lowering costs and boosting morale, Employees at F&M Tool and Die receive information on healthy lifestyles, part of the $300 they can receive for hitting certain wellness metrics. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y

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