US government is to promote “wellness” among its employees

The US government has vowed to lead by example in introducing a “new era” of health promotion and illness prevention among federal employees.

John Berry, director of the government’s Office of Personnel Management, said that the federal employment health benefits programme “will be the innovation leader in employer based healthcare” for wellness and prevention.

Speaking to executives from health insurance programmes serving government employees, Mr Berry said that he wants them to offer “concrete incentives to participate in wellness and prevention activities” from the start of next year. Priority areas will be to reduce the prevalence of obesity and ethnic disparities in health.

The federal government has already changed its health insurance policies in some areas. It now requires that plans offered …