Side Affects Episode 161 | The Compliance Risks Hiding in Your Wellness Program

March 6, 2026·34 min·1 clip

HIPAA says 30% incentive limit, but a Missouri court just ruled differently—and other courts will disagree.

Dave Homan, Tiffany Cook, and Jason Rothman discuss the compliance maze surrounding employee wellness programs. Covers HIPAA's 30% incentive rule, ADA considerations, the emerging litigation around tobacco cessation programs, and gray areas around full-year reward access. Emphasizes that wellness program design requires legal expertise to avoid costly mistakes.

As heard by us

A clear map through the compliance traps inside employee wellness programs.

This Side Effects episode frames employee wellness programs as a compliance problem with real-world consequences, not an abstract policy debate.

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Why you'd press play

Before you launch a wellness program, hear where the compliance traps actually sit.

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Play clips from this episode More from McGohan Brabender Side Affects: Disrupting Health Care