Wellness programs flourish thanks to health reform

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi employees walk along a tree lined track outside their corporate offices in Flowood, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Health care reform is changing many things about the insurance industry, and in some cases those changes are not in the broker’s favor. But at least one area of the market is seeing a boon thanks to the Affordable Care Act — wellness plans.

The ACA includes several provisions that allow wellness plans to flourish. For example, the ACA allows employers to offer incentives to employees who participate in wellness plans and/or meet certain health standards. The law increases the reward amount beginning in 2014, when rewards may be up to 30 percent of the cost of coverage (currently at 20 percent), and the reward limit may be increased to 50 percent of the cost of coverage.