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Health Contingent Program Stress

Meaning

This term describes the psychological and physiological strain imposed on employees participating in a health-contingent wellness program, where incentives or penalties are tied directly to achieving a specific health outcome or biometric goal. The stress arises from the pressure to meet clinical targets, such as a specific Body Mass Index or cholesterol level, which can trigger a counterproductive increase in allostatic load and chronic stress hormone secretion. Clinicians must recognize this iatrogenic stress as a potential barrier to genuine health improvement.