Association of Wage With Employee Participation in Health Assessments and Biometric Screening

Abstract

Purpose: To understand differences in health risk assessment (HRA) and biometric screening participation rates among benefits-enrolled employees in association with wage category. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of employee eligibility file and health benefits (wellness and claims) data. Setting: Data from self-insured employers participating in the RightOpt private exchange (Conduent HR Services) during 2014. Participants: Active employees from 4 companies continuously enrolled in health insurance for which wage data were available. Measures: Measures included HRA and biometric screening participation rates and wage status, with employee age, sex, employer, job tenure, household income, geographic location, and health benefits deductible as a percentage of total wages serving as covariates. Analysis: Employees were separated into 5 groups based on wage status. Logistic regression analysis incorporated other measures as covariates to adjust for differences between groups, with HRA and biometric screening participation rates determined as binary outcomes. Results: Participation rates for HRA and biometric screening were 90% and 87%, respectively, in the highest wage category, decreasing to 67% and 60%, respectively, among the lowest wage category. Conclusion: Employee wage status is associated with significant differences in HRA and biometric participation rates. Generalizing the results generated by modest participation in these offerings to entire populations may risk misinterpretation of results based on variable participation rates across wage categories.