About 100 employers across the nation will be provided with comprehensive wellness programs, as a result of $9 million in grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The grant is designed to boost health conditions and combat the associated costs to businesses.
Companies of various sizes across 7 national regions will be provided with 2-years of support from a national firm to develop or expand their workplace health programs. Worksites will be selected based upon leadership support, baseline data, and willingness to collaborate with other participating awardees in the region. Organizations with more than 500 full-time employees will need to provide $50,000 in matching funds for consideration.
The programs will be facilitated by Viridian Health Management and evaluated for effectiveness by North Carolina’s Research Triangle Institute.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) features wellness prominently and uses the word wellness 86 times. The most pertinent wellness issues are in the Prevention of Chronic Disease and Improving Public Health Section (Title IV). Soon, section 10408 will provide $200M for small businesses to provide comprehensive wellness programs. The fund appropriation and application protocols are currently being finalized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. You will soon need to submit an application along with an agreement to implement programs “based on and consistent with evidence-based research.”
Wellco recently completed facilitation of 10 pilot programs as precursors to the National Prevention Strategy.
Here is what you need to know to jumpstart your opportunity:
1. Get ready – You will be required to submit a proposal for a comprehensive wellness program that meets guidelines according to the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, National Registry for Effective Programs and the Guide to Community Preventive Services. Develop your plan now.
2. Get Set – The grant program is only for companies who do not have an existing wellness program. Do not launch your program until your plan is developed and you are caught up with the grant and application criteria.
3. Get connected – The guidelines and processes sound complicated, but they don’t have to be. Contact a high-level wellness expert for plan guidance, for application assistance and for timing updates to be among the first in line for funding. Wellco has been assisting with and receiving wellness grants for more than 15 years. Contact us if we can help.
About Scott Foster and Wellco
Scott Foster is President of Wellco, based in Michigan. Wellco fixes wellness and health programs for organizations that want to measurably improve health costs and conditions. Wellco specializes in wellness ROI and appraisal systems, corporate wellness programs, speaking, and consulting. For more information, visit www.wellcocorp.com or call 248-549-4247.
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