HMO wellness programs and yoga

For most companies in the Philippines, the HMO is a key health benefit. It covers consultations, tests and hospital care for employees under a corporate account. Many HMOs also try to offer something before people get sick: a wellness side to the account. This page explains, in general terms, how that side tends to work and where a yoga teacher fits. For the provider side, see yoga for HMO wellness programs.

How HMO wellness programs usually work

Every HMO and every corporate contract is different, so treat this as a general picture rather than a description of any one plan.

A corporate account is usually looked after by an account manager or account team. Their job is to keep the company well served through the year, and the wellness program is one of the ways they do it. The program often includes some mix of:

• Health talks and webinars on topics like nutrition, sleep or stress.
• Screenings and check-ups held at the office, such as blood pressure checks or the annual physical exam.
• Wellness events around the calendar, such as a health fair or a fun run.
• Group activities such as exercise or yoga classes, sometimes run by outside providers.

What is included, how often, and whether it costs the company anything extra all depend on the contract. HR teams often do not know the full list, so the first step is simply to ask.

Why yoga fits an HMO wellness calendar

For an account team, the hard part is not finding topics. It is finding activities that staff will actually attend and that HR can put in the calendar without much work. Yoga classes tick both boxes:

• They are easy to host. A desk-side class needs no mats and no change of clothes. A lunchtime class needs a meeting room.
• They suit mixed groups. A good teacher offers options for every level, so beginners, older staff and people who are not sporty can join.
• They repeat well. A class can run weekly or monthly, which gives the program a regular rhythm between larger events.
• They work online. Remote and hybrid staff can follow along from home.

A sound bath adds a quiet option for people who would rather not move at all.

How a yoga teacher can fit in

There are a few common ways an outside teacher works with an HMO program.

1. Referral. The account team suggests a teacher to a member company, and the company books classes directly.
2. Part of a wellness calendar. The HMO includes a class or a series in the activities it offers across its accounts.
3. A one-off event. A yoga class or a wellness day with sound healing forms part of a health fair or a company anniversary.

In each case the teacher brings the teaching and the plan for the room; the HMO or the company handles the invitations, the venue and the headcount. The terms depend on the arrangement and are agreed before anything is scheduled.

What HR teams can do

If you are in HR and would like yoga for your team:

• Ask your HMO account manager what wellness activities your plan includes, and whether group classes are available or can be added.
• Check the details. Find out how often classes can run, who arranges the venue, and whether online staff can join.
• Book directly if you need to. If your plan does not include classes, or you want more of them, you can arrange office yoga classes directly yourself.
• Start small. Run one format as a trial and see who turns up. Wellness activities for employees in the Philippines covers other options to mix in.

For a bigger one-off program, how to plan a corporate wellness day in Manila walks through the steps.

For HMO account teams

If you look after corporate accounts and want a yoga provider your companies can use, Joahnna Lee teaches desk-side classes, lunchtime classes, Yin classes and wellness days with sound healing at offices and venues across Metro Manila, from corporate yoga in Quezon City to corporate yoga in Alabang, and online. She brings experience from a corporate advertising career in New York, so briefs, approvals and a busy client calendar are familiar. The page on wellness partnerships explains how a partnership starts. There is no public rate; formats and terms are agreed on inquiry.