Create WHP Action Plan
How do I turn analysis results into a concrete WHP action plan?
An action plan following the GKV guideline ranks the analysis results by urgency, effectiveness and budget, assigns the measures to the focus areas and sets owners and deadlines; management formally approves it. A health insurer can only fund what has been agreed with it in advance (Section 20b SGB V, German law).
WHP action plan: example, structured according to the GKV guideline (Ch. 6.3.4 action planning)
| Measure | GKV Focus Area | Target Group | Responsible | Budget (€) | Timeframe | KPI | GKV-Fundable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Fitness Course (12 sessions) | Movement-Friendly Work | Office staff with back issues | HR + external provider | 1.200 | Q1 | Participation rate ≥ 70 % | Possible — as a certified course (Section 20 SGB V, subsidy to the insured person) or in the workplace health promotion process after agreement (Section 20b SGB V) |
| Psychological Risk Assessment | — (occupational safety, not a WHP focus area) | All employees | Occupational health + Health Committee | 800 | Q1–Q2 | Completion rate 100 % of departments | No — mandatory employer duty (Section 5 ArbSchG) |
| Manager Workshop: Healthy Leadership | Health-Oriented Leadership | Managers (team lead and above) | External WHP coach | 2.400 | Q2 | Pre/post survey manager competency +15 % | Possible — Section 20b SGB V, after agreement with the insurer |
| Fruit Basket + Healthy Cafeteria | Healthy catering in everyday work | All employees | Facility / Kitchen | 3.600/year | Year-round | Cafeteria usage rate +10 % | No — food is not a health insurer benefit |
| Digitalize BEM Process | WHP Governance | Employees with more than six weeks of incapacity in 12 months | HR + Health Committee | 0 (in-house) | Q1 | BEM rejection rate documented | No — mandatory task |
Why do WHP projects get stuck between analysis and implementation?
Many WHP initiatives do not fail for lack of ideas, but because analysis data is never turned into actionable plans. Sick-leave reports are available, health circle minutes pile up — but no one has prioritized the results, backed them with a budget and formally approved them.
The GKV prevention guideline treats this step explicitly as a phase of its own, action planning (Ch. 6.3.4): the steering committee assesses the analysis results, derives goals and records them in an action plan — in an order based on urgency and available resources, with responsibilities and deadlines. Anyone who wants to work with a health insurer agrees the measures with it in advance (Ch. 6.2.2). A written plan is the best basis for this; a mere declaration of intent is not.
A common pattern: HR collects analysis results, creates an internal presentation, gets a verbal okay from management — and then starts with the first available sports course. No written prioritization, no resource planning, no formal decision. That is neither enough as a basis for funding by the insurer nor as proof of a continuous improvement process.
This is exactly where EasyWHP, which offers BGM-Kompass free of charge, helps: it guides you through the phases of the GKV prevention guide (German statutory health insurance guideline), suggests measures from a library that match your goals and keeps the plan with its dates in one place. Budget and decision remain with management and the health working group — the figures for them are then ready. Planning measures with EasyWHP →
Which measures should you implement first?
Start with what is urgent, demonstrably effective and low-effort. Not every analysis result carries the same pressure to act: the GKV guideline requires measures to be ranked by urgency and available resources (Ch. 6.3.4). A prioritization matrix adds effectiveness and assesses three dimensions: urgency (how acute is the problem?), effectiveness (how strong is the evidence for the measure?) and budget effort (what does implementation cost relative to the expected effect?).
High urgency + strong evidence + low effort = quick win. Start these immediately — they deliver visible results early, build workforce buy-in, and produce the first KPI data for the evaluation cycle.
High effectiveness + high effort = structural measures. Plan these in parallel, secure budget, and launch in Q2/Q3. Typical examples: leadership development, a workplace ergonomics program, digitalizing the BEM process.
Low evidence + high effort = defer for now. The GKV guideline favors measures whose effectiveness is proven — measures without evidence of effect are also hard to justify to the insurer.
- Quick wins (high urgency, low effort): standing-desk trial, short-break reminders — start immediately, with a small budget
- Priority A (high urgency, strong evidence): psychological risk assessment, back course, BEM documentation — start in Q1
- Priority B (strong evidence, medium effort): healthy leadership, nutrition counseling, workplace sports — start in Q2
- Defer: measures without a measurable KPI or without a link to a GKV focus area
What budget and resources does the action plan need?
The action plan needs an approved budget — not as a wish list, but as a formal decision. For funding by the insurer, the GKV guideline requires a financial and/or staffing contribution from the company (Ch. 6.2.2). Management must actively approve the budget, not just tolerate it — only then does the health committee have a real mandate.
Besides the budget, the plan needs people: who coordinates, who communicates, who documents? The guideline requires responsibilities and deadlines to be set in the action plan (Ch. 6.3.4). A WHP plan without named owners does not help the insurer either — and internally it means no one feels responsible.
On top of that come other resources: rooms, equipment, IT systems, external service providers. External providers must meet the guideline's provider qualification requirements (Ch. 6.2.4) for an insurer to fund their services in the workplace health promotion process; certified courses under Section 20 SGB V are subsidized by the insurer for the insured person. Furnishings, furniture and technical aids are not funded by the insurer (Ch. 6.2.3).
How large the budget is depends on company size and plans; there is no generally valid per-head rule of thumb. If it is too tight, structural measures are hardly feasible — then only low-threshold quick wins remain.
What belongs in the decision record for management approval?
The decision record should contain: date and attendees of the health committee meeting, list of approved measures mapped to their GKV focus area, approved budget per measure, timeframe and named owner, plus management's signature or digital confirmation.
The reason: under the GKV guideline, measures are decided in the decision-making body (e.g., the health committee), and their results are documented (Ch. 6). A verbal okay from management is no proof — neither to the health insurer nor internally.
Without this record there is no proof that the steering committee and management back the plan — and therefore an important basis for the conversation with the insurer is missing. The record alone is not a funding commitment: the insurer decides on funding in its agreement with the company.
- Date + attendee list of the Health Committee meeting
- Approved measures mapped to their GKV focus area
- Approved budget per measure (figures, not vague wording)
- Named person responsible per measure
- Timeframe: start date and planned end
- Signature or digital confirmation from management (proof of its mandate)
Should quick wins wait until the whole plan is in place?
No — start quick wins right away and plan structural measures in parallel. A common mistake is sequencing: plan everything first, then implement. A parallel approach has proven itself — start quick wins immediately (even without a complete plan), plan structural measures at the same time and launch them once planning is complete.
Quick wins create visibility: the workforce sees that WHP is really happening — and does not just exist on PowerPoint slides. That increases willingness to take part in structural measures and secures management's political support.
Structural measures need lead time: qualified providers must be selected, contracts signed, rooms booked, communication planned. Use this lead time — while quick wins are already running and delivering the first KPI data.
For health insurer funding under Section 20b SGB V: both quick wins and structural measures can be funded, provided they are agreed with the insurer in advance, assigned to a focus area of the guideline and embedded in an overall concept, delivered by a qualified provider and evaluated with documentation. The company has no entitlement to funding.
Quick check
What's your company's workplace-health maturity?
Your maturity level shows how far your measures already sit within a structured health promotion process. Under German tax law, such a process is one way for measures to be tax-free up to the allowance of €600 per employee per year (§ 3 No. 34 EStG) — only your tax advisor can confirm this. Answer in about 7 minutes, no sign-up.
Start maturity check (about 7 min.)Related measures & topics
Key takeaways
- A written action plan with a decision is the basis for the conversation with the insurer — only what has been agreed with it in advance is funded (Section 20b SGB V).
- Prioritization matrix: urgency × effectiveness × budget — quick wins right away, plan structural measures in parallel.
- Every measure needs: GKV focus area, owner, budget, timeframe, KPI.
- The decision record of the health committee meeting documents the decision — a verbal okay is not enough.
- Choose evidence-based measures: measures without evidence of effect are hard to justify — internally and to the insurer.
Frequently asked questions
How many measures should a WHP action plan include?+
Quality over quantity: better 3–5 measures with clean evidence than 15 half-documented activities. The GKV guideline does not assess the number, but evidence, documentation and measurable effect. For small and medium-sized companies, 2–3 quick wins plus 1–2 structural measures are recommended in the first WHP year.
Does the health insurer have to approve the action plan in advance?+
There is no approval in the strict sense — but all services an insurer is to fund must be agreed with it in advance; services not agreed beforehand may not be billed (GKV guideline, Ch. 6.2.2). Insurer and company conclude an agreement on the details in advance. Before implementation, it is therefore advisable to talk to the insurer's corporate client advisers before signing contracts. Measures without insurer involvement need no agreement.
What happens if a planned measure fails or has to be cancelled?+
Document it in the health committee minutes and decide on a replacement measure. The GKV guideline assesses the process, not just the result — a documented plan with transparent adjustments is better than a perfect plan on paper that was never implemented.
Can external WHP consultants create the action plan?+
Yes — but the resolution must happen internally. External consultants can deliver drafts and facilitate prioritization workshops, but the formal resolution (minutes + management signature) must come from your own steering committee. Insurers do not accept externally resolved plans without internal authorization.
Can I apply for GKV funding for measures that are already underway?+
Usually not retroactively: the GKV guideline requires all services to be agreed with the funding insurer in advance; services not agreed beforehand may not be billed (Ch. 6.2.2). Whether an insurer funds the continuation of a measure that is already running, clarify with them before the next step.
Create Your WHP Action Plan Directly in EasyWHP
EasyWHP guides you through the phases of the GKV guideline, suggests measures that fit your goals and keeps the plan and its dates in one place. The documents for the conversation with your health insurer are then ready in one place.
Sources
- GKV prevention guideline 2025 (Section 20(2) SGB V), Ch. 6.2 and 6.3 (funding criteria, action planning) ↗
- § 20b SGB V — Workplace Health Promotion ↗
Last updated: 2026-06-24. Not legal or tax advice — have your specific case reviewed by a professional.