There is an increasing interest by benefits brokers to provide services beyond group benefits and retirement products. Here are 10 consultants with highlights of their workplace wellness programs.
Clients, including plan sponsors and administrators are asking for proactive ways to reduce insurance premiums and improve overall workplace health and productivity. They are looking for the guidance and support by their broker to help them develop and implement a formal workplace wellness strategy. The brokerages noted below highlight the caliber and variety of wellbeing programs offered by the largest 
service providers; however, even if you are a smaller broker, you can still meet the wellness needs of your clients. Check out our Free Wellness Guide: Worksite Wellness 101 for Benefits Brokers to learn how.
This case study speaks to how a Florida-based broker grew their revenue offering health and wellness – with the help of CoreHealth’s wellness software.
Leading Brokerages and their Health Wellness Services
The following is a list of the top 10 biggest US benefit firms (based on revenue reported by the Employee Benefit Adviser) with highlights about the workplace health and wellness programs they provide to client workforces.
Note: the information has been sourced directly from their corporate websites.
- Mercer - Health and Benefits
- Mercer is a leader in the health and benefits marketplace, globally. They deliver innovative solutions that address the health and wellness needs of
clients and their employees. Whether your organization is a small business, a domestic employer, or a large multinational firm, they can deliver a comprehensive array of health and benefits solutions. They provide access to local market experts as well as national and international resources that advise on regulatory compliance and innovative benefit strategies. It is the depth of their knowledge combined with our disciplined consulting approach that makes us an ideal partner. - Mercer Workplace Health: their approach helps employers make targeted interventions to enhance the performance of their workforce and business through improved productivity, engagement and long-term cost reduction in five key areas: benefits design, brokerage, engagement, internal measurement and health incentives.
- Mercer is a leader in the health and benefits marketplace, globally. They deliver innovative solutions that address the health and wellness needs of
- Willis Towers Watson – Health, Wellbeing and Productivity
- Towers Watson helps develop wellness strategies – both globally and locally – and introduces appropriate governance frameworks. they believe that the key components in the area of health and wellbeing are:
- Define objectives and obtain relevant data for analysis - only once these components have been considered can the wellness programme be truly effective.
- Understanding actual and potential health risks helps employers to introduce targeted wellness initiatives and methods for monitoring the impact of these measures - thereby ensuring a successful program.
- Maximising participation is critical to the success of such programmes and so they recognise the importance of employee engagement, education and communications to support this.
- Their Health and Group Benefits Practice has a wealth of experience in helping to design implement and manage health and wellbeing programmes, both strategically and operationally, for employers at any stage of the wellbeing cycle.
- Towers Watson helps develop wellness strategies – both globally and locally – and introduces appropriate governance frameworks. they believe that the key components in the area of health and wellbeing are:
- USI Insurance Services – Population Health Management
- USI possesses one of the broadest and most comprehensive networks of Population Health Managers (PHM) of any major brokerage in the U.S. The background and expertise of their specialists range from clinicians, program managers from Fortune 50 employers, health promotion specialists, data analysts, nutritionists, and communication specialists.
- Their consultative health management services include:
- Population Health Management Program Feasibility Analysis
- Program Design, Implementation, Analysis, and Reporting
- Budget Guidance and Incentive Models
- Targeted Communications to Increase Engagement
- Predictive Modeling & Large Claims Analysis
- Chronic Condition and Disease Management Strategies
- Their benefits team leverages USI ONE®, a fundamentally different approach to employee benefits and risk management. USI ONE integrates proprietary business analytics with a network of local and national technical experts in a team based consultative planning process to evaluate the client’s risk profile and identify targeted solutions. Clients then receive tailored recommendations for improving their employee benefits plans.
- USI possesses one of the broadest and most comprehensive networks of Population Health Managers (PHM) of any major brokerage in the U.S. The background and expertise of their specialists range from clinicians, program managers from Fortune 50 employers, health promotion specialists, data analysts, nutritionists, and communication specialists.
- Gallagher Benefit Services – Wellbeing & Engagement
- They take a strategic approach to wellbeing and go beyond traditional wellness to help organizations evaluate and create the right mix of emotional, financial, career, community, and physical wellbeing initiatives. This includes reviewing how wellness integrates with workers' compensation and safety programs.
- Gallagher begins by gaining an understanding of your organization’s culture through a broad discovery process. Together they will:
- Assess your unique culture, strategic business model and organizational objectives.
- Understand your workforce and talent strategy to support employees’ career wellbeing by developing recommendations that are relevant by career stage and support destination employer efforts.
- Identify prevailing population health risks by analyzing health metrics, claims and utilization data together with employee focus group/survey information to assess readiness to change.
- Build a long-range philosophic vision focused on total wellbeing and engagement that enhances culture and improves business outcomes.
- They take a strategic approach to wellbeing and go beyond traditional wellness to help organizations evaluate and create the right mix of emotional, financial, career, community, and physical wellbeing initiatives. This includes reviewing how wellness integrates with workers' compensation and safety programs.
- Aon Consulting – Employee Health and Benefits Consulting
- Health care management fosters improved and holistic changes in your employees’ health and productivity through well-thought-out intervention,
reduced hospitalizations, and decreased accumulated lifestyle risks. Aon Hewitt delivers a turn-key solution. They have the consulting expertise and administrative resources to plan, design, execute and deliver your health benefits strategy. Their actuarial, medical, clinical, and legal expertise and influence with national carriers enable them to help you manage health care costs through a combination of approaches, including continued cost shifting and tougher negotiations with health plans. - Aon Hewitt benefit consultants provide industry-leading, integrated data warehousing services to help you address issues across the health benefits management spectrum:
- Measurement and benchmarking
- Audit services across medical claims, disability, pharmacy and medical management vendors
- Government regulations and compliance
- Health and productivity
- Health plan performance
- Purchasing efficiencies
- Clients have access to our proprietary vendor RFI database, client-centric RFP process, predictive modeling technology—DxCG—for identification of high-risk members, customized survey tools to assess employee interest and readiness to change lifestyles and targeted employee communication templates.
- AON Planning and Strategy services include:
- Comprehensive strategic planning session
- Wellness cultural readiness assessment
- Root causes and avoidable claims cost analysis
- Employee and executive data gathering
- Benchmarking
- Health risk or diabetes risk studies
- Networks discount and fee benchmarking
- Provider quality analysis
- On-site or near-site clinic feasibility analysis
- Health care management fosters improved and holistic changes in your employees’ health and productivity through well-thought-out intervention,
- Marsh & McLennan Agency – Population Health Improvement
- They have developed and implemented comprehensive wellness programs for many employers. They recommend developing a multi-year strategy, with each year progressing in the breadth and scope of the program and use of premium contributions and benefits to differentiate those who are actively participating and/or improving their lifestyles and controllable risk factors.
- Employers must implement wellness programs to strategically impact medical trend and their health care dollars. They use fact based data and analysis which is critical to understand what to focus on, and their customized employee communications result in wellness programs being done "with employees" instead of "to employees" which leads to greater success.
- They’ll create training, educational events and initiatives that target specific well-being areas to start improving your employees’ lives and your bottom line today.
- Additional Services:
- On-site training
- Free seminars on well-being topics
- They have developed and implemented comprehensive wellness programs for many employers. They recommend developing a multi-year strategy, with each year progressing in the breadth and scope of the program and use of premium contributions and benefits to differentiate those who are actively participating and/or improving their lifestyles and controllable risk factors.
- Lockton Cos. – Employee Health & Wellbeing
- Health and wellbeing are tightly linked. That’s why many employers are finding it helpful to look beyond traditional medical benefits to address some of the challenges that affect their employees’ wellbeing. At Lockton, they help companies like yours create program that focus on:
- Physical wellbeing, such as managing or avoiding chronic conditions
- Mental health concerns, such as depression or stress
- Social issues, such as childcare and work-life balance
- Environmental factors, such as occupational safety
- Economic worries, such as personal debt
- Physical wellbeing, such as managing or avoiding chronic conditions
- Their employee benefits consultants will help you identify your company’s key issues, set measurable goals, and develop targeted strategies. By designing a tailored health and wellbeing programme that demonstrates your commitment to your employees, Lockton Benefits can help you:
- Reduce absenteeism
- Improve morale
- Increase retention
- Health and wellbeing are tightly linked. That’s why many employers are finding it helpful to look beyond traditional medical benefits to address some of the challenges that affect their employees’ wellbeing. At Lockton, they help companies like yours create program that focus on:
- Alliant Insurance Services – Health & Productivity
- As pioneers in this space, Alliant developed a proprietary process-driven approach to create tailored, effective, measurable health and productivity
programs based on your organization’s employees, culture, and budget. Their highly experienced team of clinicians and wellness consultants help you design, implement, and measure ongoing results for your health and productivity program. Employees are engaged through tailored communication strategies and incentive programs that help them make informed care decisions and healthy lifestyle choices. - Clients with a long-term program like this in place have claims costs that outperform trends and report positive cultural shifts. It just makes good business sense to let Alliant create a custom program that boosts the health and security of you and your employees.
- As pioneers in this space, Alliant developed a proprietary process-driven approach to create tailored, effective, measurable health and productivity
- HUB International – Employee Wellness Programs and Consulting
- To develop a wellness program that supports your employees’ physical, mental and financial health, they’ll collaborate with you on a process that starts with an assessment of your workplace culture and unique needs. They’ll find out what is driving your benefits plan costs and identify the employee health risk areas that will help you target your wellness program for best results.
- Then, they’ll present health and performance initiatives that will generate those results in productivity, cost containment and employee health and well-being. And they’ll help you roll out those initiatives, supported by consistent communications to maximize employee engagement.
- Foundation data can be produced through self-reported and professionally analyzed evidence. Claims analysis can produce a clear picture of where your organization can improve employee health and productivity, while alleviating costs and liability.
- Health risk assessments and employee surveys educate and engage employees. Asking employees to help shape the wellness program demonstrates your organization’s commitment to their good health.
- Employee and Family Assistance Plans (EFAP) are a key component to any organization’s wellness program. Employees are offered 24/7 access to confidential, professional counseling services to help them address any health and wellbeing concerns. As an employer, you can access education sessions, while employees receive access to online tools and resources.
- An online BeingWell portal provides integration between the EFAP, your benefits and retirement plans, and your organization’s brand of wellness. A 100% proactive, educational tool for employees, BeingWell gathers a wealth of information about total health in a single online experience that reflects the top concerns in the workforce today. Multiple social media platforms promote wellness at home and at work, and provide direct access to local and national support resources.
- A communication strategy and usage reports ensure that employee awareness and engagement are maximized for the highest potential return to your organization.
- To develop a wellness program that supports your employees’ physical, mental and financial health, they’ll collaborate with you on a process that starts with an assessment of your workplace culture and unique needs. They’ll find out what is driving your benefits plan costs and identify the employee health risk areas that will help you target your wellness program for best results.
- NFP – Health & Wellness Programs
- No Canned Plans - Done right, a health and wellness program can engage employees and even help your bottom line by reducing absenteeism and health insurance costs. “Right” means forgetting about pre-packaged solutions that don’t take into account your unique culture and the different types of people who make up your company. That’s why they evaluate your company’s:
- Culture
- Mission and vision
- Demographics and psychographics
- Strategic goals
- They also ask your employees and leadership what inspires them each day and what aspects of wellness they care most about. Then you get a roadmap for an effective, evidence-based health and wellness program from NFP. A roadmap designed specifically for your company, not "everybody."
- Realistic Costs with Real Returns - you need realistic budget parameters that take into account hard and soft costs. You should also be able to expect reasonable returns. NFP services help you make both a reality. They’ll work with you on everything from building incentive programs to developing metrics and ROI targets to analyzing wellness and disease management platforms.
- Wellness strategy development
- Planning tools
- Claim analytics, risk scores and ROI tracking
- Wellness champion training
- Incentive design and funding strategy
- Customizable marketing resources, including employee wellness campaigns and newsletters
- Intervention and program templates
- A wellness research library, filled with case studies, best practices and more
- Access to preferred wellness vendors and discounted pricing opportunities
- RFP assistance for third-party wellness vendors
- Strategic employee-facing communications
- No Canned Plans - Done right, a health and wellness program can engage employees and even help your bottom line by reducing absenteeism and health insurance costs. “Right” means forgetting about pre-packaged solutions that don’t take into account your unique culture and the different types of people who make up your company. That’s why they evaluate your company’s:
As you can see, these programs and services are very comprehensive and cover the range of wellbeing offerings (Shameless plug: some of these brokers use our corporate wellness technology to power their programs).
Already provide wellness programs to clients?
If you are looking for a more efficient way for your wellness team to design, deliver and administer your programs with the help of new, industry-leading technology, let’s chat. We can discuss your current challenges to see if/how we can help you take your programs to the next level and build stronger relationships.
Just starting out with wellness?
We can help too! Our technology is used by leading wellness providers that work with brokers to service clients with wellness program design and support. We would welcome the opportunity to better understand your needs to help you deliver the most effective and affordable solutions available – either working with us directly or with one of our partner re-sellers.
About CoreHealth Technologies
CoreHealth Technologies Inc. is the leading corporate wellness platform trusted by more than 1000 organizations, ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises. At CoreHealth, we believe that developing the best employee wellness programs is all about giving wellness companies the right code, design and access to the latest innovations. With the most customization, integrations and reliability of any software in its class, CoreHealth’s powerful platform lets users focus on growing great companies. For more information, explore the CoreHealth website.
