Dive Brief:

• An employee wellness program at Florida's Polk County Public Schools has reinvented itself for the modern era to include cancer screenings, tobacco quitting programs and a free walk-in health clinic. 
• Across the county, health issues such as obesity and diabetes remain problematic, so the district has refocused attention on "ease of access," according to District Administration.
• The district sees a return on its investment through lower health insurance costs compared with other districts, and it advises others to start small and expand when creating their own wellness program.

Dive Insight:

Wellness programs have been in place in some places for decades, designed to reduce overall health care costs through preventive care. Often these programs focus on maintaining healthy diets and engaging in more exercise. However, to really make an impact, programs are beginning to shift to combating preventable diseases, such as cancer, through screenings and targeted lifestyle programs. A 2013 report from Aflac found that overall wellness programs can save more than $3 for every $1 spent.

In 2014, the Affordable Care Act issued guidelines for wellness programs and offered new incentives to comprehensive ones that met certain criteria. It is currently unclear whether changes to the ACA, currently being proposed, would have an impact on the funding of these programs.