Amy McDonough, Vice President and General Manager at Fitbit Wellness, testified before a congressional hearing last week in a session entitled “Innovations in Health Care: Exploring Free-Market Solutions for a Healthy Workforce”.
The hearing itself was somewhat scattered in terms of its focus, as the representatives took every opportunity to defend or take potshots at the Affordable Care Act, while the witnesses tackled topics including employee privacy, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines on employee wellness, and the effectiveness of employee wellness programs.
“We have a specific vision of wellness, one that addresses the diverse needs of both organizations and the people that power them,” McDonough said in her opening remarks. “The fundamental goal of any wellness program should be to provide opportunities for individuals to improve their health and wellness. The need for wellness programs has never been greater, and employers are uniquely positioned to improve population health by starting right in the workplace. Wellness should always be inclusive, voluntary, and should protect the privacy of the people it is aimed to serve.”
