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The final rules that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released this week on Employer Wellness Programs continue to receive significant reaction from, among others, business, benefits, and wellness executives.  Much of the commentary centered on the importance of having clarity around the wellness program guidelines.

Cathy Kenworthy, president and CEO of Interactive Health Inc. in Business Insurance: “Employers can move forward with confidence in implementing a well-designed wellness program with greater harmony across the various applicable laws.”

Tami Simon, global practice leader with Xerox HR Services in Business Insurance: “We now have closure. This is something employers have been asking for for a long time.”

The Wall Street Journal reports: “‘The employer can design a wellness plan that requires an employee to share health information or participate in a medical exam,' as long as the incentives don’t exceed that threshold, said Don Lewis, shareholder of Nilan Johnson Lewis, an employment law firm in Minneapolis.”

EEOC Chair Jenny Yang is quoted by Modern Healthcare: “The EEOC received comments on both rules from a broad array of stakeholders and considered them carefully in developing this final rule. These rules make clear that the ADA and GINA provide important safeguards to employees to protect against discrimination.”

Employee Benefit News reports that “Sixty-seven percent of employers plan to expand their investment in well-being programs over the next three to five years, according to a Fidelity/National Business Group on Health survey released last month.”