In this episode David and Kasie Plekkenpol who is Director of Health Management Product Strategy at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee discuss workplace wellness programs, some of the challenges they present and some of the benefits of having them.

In this episode:

00:56 Who is Kasie Plekkenpol?
01:50 Infusing Health and Wellness into your life
02:09 Is wellness just about feeling good?
03:10 Why is workplace wellness so critical?
03:46 Is this something smaller employers can take advantage of too?
04:31 A lunchtime challenge
05:10 What are some of the successes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee has seen?
06:20 Making the healthy choice the easy choice
07:00 Best ways to support a healthy culture
07:50 How to avoid the contraband candy obstacle
08:50 Taking the walking meeting
11:03 What are some of the lessons BCBST have learned from their wellness program?
13:05 Getting the opt-in
14:47 The million dollar question about a wellness culture
18:30 Rewarding healthy behavior with incentives
20:15 Culture change is critical when offering incentives
21:30 The amount of incentives employers are currently putting into wellness programs
23:01 How much money can a company save by using a wellness program
24:20 Benefits of healthy employees

Resources:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee
Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce