UnitedHealthcare is now offering North Carolina employers SimplyEngaged Plus, a new program that enables employees to earn more than $1,000 by participating in wellness programs and achieving recommended health levels.

SimplyEngaged Plus is an incentive-based wellness program that rewards individuals for healthy behaviors and completing specific health actions. The program is available with any UnitedHealthcare health plan that includes a health savings account (HSA) or health reimbursement account (HRA).

While incentive amounts vary based on an employer’s benefits plan, employees achieving and maintaining four different health benchmarks can earn up to $250 for each of the categories. Employees unable to meet any of the health measures can still receive the full incentive by participating in telephonic wellness coaching.

The four health measures are:

• total cholesterol: less than 200mg

• blood pressure: less than or equal to 130/80

• body Mass Index: less than or equal to 25

• no nicotine use

The program’s health targets are based on measures recommended and used by the National Institutes of Health. Plan participants can also earn additional credits – each ranging from $25 to $75 – for taking specific health actions, such as completing health assessments and participating in online health coaching and telephonic wellness coaching activities. The SimplyEngaged Plus program is voluntary, and the financial rewards earned are directly deposited in the employees’ HSA or HRA.

SimplyEngaged Plus builds on the ongoing SimplyEngaged program that awards merchant gift cards for completing health assessments and participating in telephonic and online wellness coaching.

“This is the third year that we have had UnitedHealthcare’s SimplyEngaged wellness program, and we have found our employees value the opportunity to check their health status through onsite biometric screenings and health fairs and then, if necessary, take action to improve their health,” said Jason Shannon, director of human resources, Integrated Laboratory Systems, Inc. “The ability for our employees to be able to take advantage of these programs while at work has been tremendously positive – we are all busy, and sometimes taking care of our health comes last. Having these programs available in the office during the day has encouraged our employees to take action when it comes to their health.”

SimplyEngaged Plus, available to North Carolina businesses with 100 to 2,999 employees, was designed using the same model as UnitedHealthcare’s Personal Rewards program for large employers. Launched in the fall of 2010, Personal Rewards is already nearing 1 million participants.

“We are helping smaller and medium-sized businesses in North Carolina with practical, positive ways to promote healthier lifestyles among their employees,” said Garland Scott, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Employer and Individual of the Carolinas. “By connecting specific actions with financial incentives through SimplyEngaged Plus, employees can have a healthier lifestyle and employers a more productive workforce over the long term.”

Wellness programs that tie incentives to specific health actions are becoming more popular among employers. In 2011, 58 percent of employers were planning to offer cash, premium credits and/or account contributions to their employees as incentives to encourage participation in health and wellness activities, according to a survey by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health. About a third of employers surveyed also planned to implement an outcome-based wellness program in 2012.