Don't Pay for Wellness Twice: Health Plan vs. Wellness Platform
Last Updated
September 24, 2025
“We already have a free wellness tool included with another service, so we’ll just use that.”
We hear this more and more, and we understand the instinct. When budgets are tight, it’s tempting to stick with what’s already embedded or offered at little to no cost.
But let’s be clear: these tools are not apples to apples with a purpose-built wellness platform. They’re often generic, inflexible, and overlooked by the very people they’re meant to support.
What You’re Typically Not Getting
Here’s what you’re typically not getting from a free or bundled wellness tool:
- Little to no customization to reflect your workforce, your locations, or your culture
- Limited reporting, with little to no ability to segment by risk level, job role, or demographics
- Minimal strategic guidance or ongoing support to bring it all together
Why This Matters Financially
Those no-cost or bundled wellness tools often carry hidden costs. Participation rates are notoriously low…sometimes under 10%. With engagement that low, you don’t see any real impact on your claims, your culture, or your employees’ health. Meanwhile, your healthcare costs keep rising.
When engagement is this low, you end up paying for wellness twice: once in higher claims and again in lost productivity. By contrast, when you implement a dedicated wellness program, you can expect participation rates two to three times higher. That directly translates into measurable ROI for you, e.g. lower claims trends, stronger employee retention, and a healthier, more productive workforce.
How Healthbreak is Different:
At Healthbreak, we do things differently and our clients notice! Nationally recognized for white-glove service and a flexible, client-first approach, we serve as your strategic ally in designing and delivering a multi-year, evidence-based wellness roadmap tailored to your culture, objectives, and resources. Our highly skilled professionals leverage best practices, targeted engagement, and data-driven insights to deliver measurable results, inspire lasting lifestyle change, and continually optimize for maximum impact.
Whether it’s building a customized health checklist, launching a site-specific campaign, or helping you interpret your data, our platforms give you:
- Client-facing dashboards with real-time, actionable reporting
- The option to integrate claims and screening data for richer insights
- Targeted messaging and tools based on role, location, or health risk
- Direct access to real humans who know your goals and help you reach them
If the goal is simply to check the box on wellness, a free tool will do that. But if you’re serious about improving health, controlling claims, and supporting your people in meaningful ways, you need more than a tool, you’ll need a partner.
– Valerie Nagoshiner, MBA | President, Healthbreak
📩 Connect with us: info@healthbreakinc.com
