Over the years, many articles and studies have explored the effectiveness of wellness programs. For every one that says they're great and wonderful, there's another one that says they're completely useless. So, who's right?

Recently, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign attempted to clear the air with a comprehensive year-long study to get to the bottom of it once and for all. The results weren't pretty. In fact, they found no significant effects on medical expenditures, health behaviors, or productivity.

Plot twist

I guess that means it's game over for us and we might as well pack it up and call it a day. But there's just one catch: while these findings may seem to provide a final verdict on wellness programs and have the naysayers shouting, “I told you so,” the research actually syncs up with our own internal data. Studies like this are always going to be flawed, because one year just isn't enough time to show meaningful results or significant cost savings. As a matter of fact, many companies see an increase in medical spending during the first two years as program members become more aware of health issues and visit their physicians more often

As a wellness provider, we're constantly tasked with proving how our programs control costs and help employees get healthy. What we've discovered time and time again is that it typically takes three years or more—along with an intense, focused, and sustained effort—before experiencing the cost benefits of a healthier workforce.