Are all employment-based wellness programs required to check for compliance with the HIPAA nondiscrimination provisions?
No. Many employers offer a wide range of programs to promote health and prevent disease. For example, some employers may choose to provide or subsidize healthier food choices in the employee cafeteria, provide pedometers to encourage employee walking and exercise, pay for gym memberships, or ban smoking on employer facilities and campuses. A wellness program is subject to the HIPAA nondiscrimination rules only if it is, or is part of, a group health plan. If an employer operates a wellness program as an employment policy separate from its group health plan(s), the program may be covered by other Federal or State nondiscrimination laws, but it is not subject to the HIPAA nondiscrimination regulations. Q13: My group health plan gives an annual premium discount of 50 percent of the cost of employee-only coverage to participants who adhere to a wellness program which consists of attending a monthly health seminar. Does this reward violate the HIPAA nondiscrimination regulations? No. This w
Related Questions
- Do disease management, health promotion, preventive care, and wellness programs fall under the HIPAA Privacy Rule’s definition of "marketing"?
- Do disease management, health promotion, preventive care, and wellness programs fall under the HIPAA Privacy Rules definition of marketing ?
- Are wellness programs allowed under HIPAAs nondiscrimination rules?
