Employers are raising the bar on what they expect from their health plans — and wellness programs are now a core part of that evaluation. The employers winning on retention, engagement, and healthcare cost management aren't just offering solid medical coverage. They're partnering with health plans that deliver low claims costs, accessible benefits, and integrated wellness tools that actually get used.
Here's what to look for — and what your employees are counting on you to get right.
Related: Top Corporate Fitness Benefits Employees Actually Want in 2025
What Is a Comprehensive Employee Benefits Package?
A comprehensive employee benefits package goes beyond traditional medical, dental, and vision coverage. It includes supplemental offerings — health and fitness platforms, mental health tools, condition management programs, nutrition support, and rewards for healthy behaviors — all designed to support employees before they need expensive care.
According to McKinsey, 78% of employers now offer at least one voluntary supplemental benefit. But offering a benefit and offering the right benefit are two different things. The employers getting the most value are choosing health plans that bundle preventive tools alongside core coverage — reducing friction, increasing utilization, and making a measurable impact on employee health outcomes.
Why Wellness Programs Matter More Than Ever
The stakes around benefits quality have never been higher. More than half of U.S. adults say they're more likely to stay at their job if they like their health plan — making benefits a direct driver of retention, not just satisfaction.
Health plans that help employers address these expectations — through navigation tools, preventive care, and mental health resources — are the ones employers want to partner with long-term.
Related: Building Sustainable Well-Being Programs
6 Things Employers Look for in a Health Plan's Wellness Offering
1. How does a health plan help manage claims costs?
Claims cost management is the baseline. Employers need health plan partners that use data-driven cost containment strategies to reduce unnecessary utilization without compromising care quality. The most effective plans integrate preventive wellness programs — fitness, nutrition, condition management — that reduce the likelihood of high-cost claims before they occur. Nearly 85% of large U.S. employers now offer wellness programs, in large part because proactive health investment consistently outperforms reactive treatment spending.
2. Why do low deductibles matter to employers?
High deductibles create a chilling effect on healthcare utilization — employees avoid care they need, conditions worsen, and costs spike later. Employers prioritize health plans that keep deductibles accessible, because affordable cost-sharing means employees actually engage with their benefits. Plans that pair low deductibles with strong preventive programming give employers the best of both worlds: cost control now and healthier outcomes over time.
3. What makes a provider network strong enough for employer groups?
A wide, well-maintained provider network ensures employees can see the providers they trust without going out of network or waiting weeks for availability. For employers with geographically distributed teams, network breadth isn't a nice-to-have — it's a baseline requirement. Health plans that regularly audit and expand their networks signal to employers that access is a priority, not an afterthought.
4. What supplemental benefits are employers prioritizing right now?
The supplemental benefits landscape has shifted significantly. Health and fitness benefits have moved from optional to expected — and employers are investing accordingly. Employers want health plans that offer a range of supplemental options covering physical activity, mental health, nutrition, condition management, and financial wellness — so employees can find support that fits their actual needs, not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Related: How Employee Fitness Benefits Can Improve Well-Being
5. Why are employers choosing all-in-one benefits solutions?
Managing multiple vendor relationships, each with separate logins, eligibility files, and reporting dashboards, creates significant administrative overhead for HR teams. Employers are actively moving toward all-in-one benefits solutions that consolidate wellness offerings in one place. The result: simpler administration for HR, a more seamless experience for employees, and higher overall utilization because access isn't buried behind multiple apps and portals.
6. How do wellness rewards and incentives drive ROI for employers?
Incentive structures work. When employees are rewarded for logging workouts or hitting wellness milestones, participation climbs — and so does the downstream ROI. Health plans that embed meaningful incentives into their wellness offerings help employers demonstrate the value of their benefits investment, improve engagement data, and reduce long-term claims exposure.
Related: Maximizing Wellness Dollars
What Employers Should Ask Their Health Plan
When evaluating a health plan's wellness program, the right questions cut through the marketing quickly:
- What is the average utilization rate for your wellness tools?
- How do you measure and report on health outcomes for employer groups?
- Do your supplemental benefits integrate in one platform or require separate logins?
- What incentive structures are available and how are they administered?
- How does your wellness offering support employees managing chronic conditions?
Health plans that can answer these with data — not just talking points — are the partners worth choosing.
Related: The Guide to Personalized Wellness Programs
How FitOn Health can help
What employers are looking for from their health plans has evolved. Low claims costs, accessible deductibles, and broad provider networks remain essential — but they're table stakes. The health plans winning employer group business are the ones that pair core coverage with integrated wellness tools, meaningful supplemental benefits, and measurable outcomes.
FitOn Health provides a holistic health and wellness benefit, including condition-management and nutrition courses, instant access to the widest variety of workout and meditation classes from world-class trainers, experts and celebrities, plus the largest variety of in-person experiences.
Discover what FitOn Health can do for your members, schedule a demo or get in touch today.
