What employees what in a health & wellness plan: Make it simple, personal and supportive.

A new survey from Aon Hewitt, The Futures Company, and the National Business Group on Health, reveals that consumers want their employers to do more to help them improve their health and get the most from their employer-provided health and wellness plans.

Under continued pressure to mitigate costs and adjust to new regulations, employers are continuing to carefully consider the future of their health plans. However, as they adjust their plan design and wellness strategies, the survey finds that many employers aren't aligning these strategies with the goals, needs and concerns of their employees.

The survey reveals that workers really want 4 simple things-programs and communication that are easy to use, motivating and meaningful to them, but that also provide personalized information and ideas.

Make it Easy: Faced with rising health care costs and new regulations, more employers are introducing health care plans that require workers to take more responsibility for managing their health and the related costs. In fact, a recent Aon Hewitt report shows that 51 percent of employers now offer a Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP), up from just 9 percent in 2005.

The good news for employers is that consumers are willing to try consumer driven health plans (51% of employers are offering CDHPs) if the immediate cost savings are apparent. Among those with a choice, most employees (63%) select a CDHP because of the lower premium costs. Additionally, 39% choose this plan option because their employer contributes to an associated Health Savings Account (HSA). While CDHPs are, in part, intended to encourage workers to take a more active role in their health, the survey findings indicate that they are having a mixed effect on behaviors. Encouragingly, 42% are getting more preventive care and 40% are looking for lower cost health services. More troubling, a sizeable number of workers (35%) are sacrificing or postponing care (28%) to avoid out-of-pocket costs.

Recommendation: Give employees the tools and advice to decide what is the most appropriate plan for them.

Make it Personal: Consumers want information that is tailored to their specific situation. Half of participants want a personalized plan that recommends specific actions they can take to improve their health based on their health status. Workers are also looking for convenient, one-stop access to information with a preference for a wellness website and personalized health tips and reminders, cost savings tips, and cost estimating tools.

Recommendation: Look at employees as individuals, not as a group. Customize health information and related programs to address specific health conditions and risks. How? An e-letter, online newsletter, searchable intranet with deep content, health coaching.

Make it Move Me: Consumers say the best way to motivate them to participate in employer-sponsored health plans is by using rewards. More than half prefer either non-cash or cash incentives to encourage them to take part in wellness, condition management programs, or respond to a health risk questionnaire.

While employees may think they're healthier than they likely are, they do acknowledge that their health isn't perfect. Despite the potential disconnect between real and perceived health status, consumers do understand what it takes to get and stay healthy.

Recommendation: Knowing what to do and doing it are two different things. Provide tools, programs, and time to help employees make positive health choices despite the barriers.

Make it Meaningful: To improve health and productivity, employers are increasingly offering programs to both workers and their dependents such as biometric screenings, health risk assessments, onsite clinics/pharmacies and Employee Assistance Programs. However, many employees and their dependents don't seem to be aware of many of these programs. Despite low participation, when workers do take part in these programs, satisfaction is extremely high. Also, many consumers don't feel their employers are fully supportive in helping them get and stay healthy.

Recommendation: Develop a corporate culture in which leaders care and where healthful living is communicated.