Iowa employers strongly believe workers should be held accountable for improving, managing and maintaining their health, according to the 2010 Iowa Employer Benefits Study. However, employers are equally likely to believe their employees are not in fact being held accountable.

The study, which includes survey responses from 985 employers, was conducted by David P. Lind & Associates of Clive, an employee benefits consulting and research firm. Nearly 3,700 randomly selected companies were contacted for the 12th annual survey earlier this year.

Based on study findings, employers who feel their workers are being held accountable for their health are more likely to:

• contribute more money into a consumer-driven health-care account for the employees;

• offer a lower health insurance deductible for single and family coverage;

• hold managers in their organization accountable for their work force’s productivity;

• forgo passing increased health insurance costs on to their employees; and

• retain employees rather than letting them go.

“The challenge for employers will be to create meaningful behavioral changes in employees,” said David Lind, the firm’s principal. “As the study results reflect, this is a challenge that is largely unmet at this time.”