URAC Wellness Standard 15 -- Incentive Structure

This standard requires that the wellness program be able to incorporate participant incentives into its program.  Further, the standard requires that the program collect data so that its effectiveness can be evaluated.

As the interpretive notes indicate, URAC fully expects the initiative for participant incentives to come from the employer/client, not from the wellness program.  Consistent with that notion, URAC requires the applicant for accreditation to have the capacity to respond to an employer/client request for the inclusion of incentives for wellness program participants in its wellness program.  However, URAC does place upon the wellness program the obligation, once asked by the employer/client to include an incentive, to design it in such a way as to support the collection of data and evaluation of those data to help assess the impact of the incentive.

Documentation for the desktop review level likely will be a policy and procedure which directs the program's staff to be responsive to employer requests for incentives, and to guide program staff in the development of interventions that lend themselves to data collection and evaluation.  The onsite review no doubt will involve an examination of documents demonstrating implementation of that P&P and an interview of senior clinicians involved with the incentive program(s).