Value-Based Benefit Design Research Series

In the last several years, employers have been exploring alternatives to traditional benefit designs and health improvement programs that include motivating workers to be more responsible for their health in an effort to change their behavior. To gauge the status of employer, employee and physician understanding and use of these new benefit design approaches, MBGH conducted multiple studies over a four year period between 2006 and 2010.

2006-2007
A national landmark survey was conducted on Employers' Readiness to Adopt Value Based Benefit Design. Results revealed that those employers who were successful with these new approaches, experienced lower costs when they adopted a comprehensive value based benefit design that included incentives and disincentives to encourage behavior change as well as a process that helped them analyze and integrate their data.

2008
In the fall of 2008, MBGH conducted employee focus groups to determine the Employee Perspective on Value Based Benefits, Wellness Programs and the Use of Incentives. Key findings include that employees: (1) have the desire and confidence to play an active role in managing their health; (2) want to make their own choices regarding what programs to participate in, (3) are skeptical of employers efforts in offering certain programs and services and (4) can be motivated by monetary incentives as well as through peer persuasion.

2010
To expand upon the 2008 findings, in Spring 2010, another series of focus groups was conducted with employees across the nation. In this new round, the research focused on better understanding the triggers and barriers that impact health, health care decisions, behavior change and engagement in employer-sponsored health benefits and wellness programs. The full results are offered in the following whitepaper: Triggers and Barriers of Employee Engagement of Their Health Benefits and Wellness Programs.

Click here to download a copy of the whitepaper
November 2011 News Release

Due to the key findings of this project, MBGH is now developing an Employer Toolkit on Benefits Literacy and Consumerism with an anticipated launch in mid-2012.

For more information regarding this Value-Based Benefit Research Series, contact either Cheryl Larson, Vice President or Margaret Rehayem, Director of Member Initiatives