State Legislatures Debate Mandatory Employee Wellness Programs

In both Washington and Maryland, state legislatures are mulling the possibility of taking a more proactive approach to wellness for their state employees. Washington is considering a bill that would require wellness programs be part of health insurance plans offered to state workers starting next year. Legislation in Maryland would require the state to have an employee wellness program with incentives, such as discounted premiums for workers who participate.

States are often one of the largest, if not the largest, employers in any given region, and as such, often have considerable power and influence in their markets. If state employee plans start pushing for stronger wellness programs and incentives, private employers could start to feel pressure to follow suit.