Financial Incentives and Workplace Wellness-Program Participation.

 Data from a large employer that offered financial incentives to encourage participation in its wellness program are analyzed in this paper. It examines how the characteristics of first-time, wellness-program participants changed with the enhancement of financial incentives for health-risk assessments (HRA) and biometric screenings. Those who completed an HRA or biometric screening in the two years prior to the change in financial incentives (i.e., pre-incentive) are compared to those who completed an HRA or biometric screening in the two years (for HRA) or three years (for biometric screening) after the change in the financial incentives. Findings from this study paint a vivid picture of the type of individual who favorably responds to wellnessprogram financial incentives—a research contribution with important implementation and evaluation implications.