Managed Healthcare Executive - February 2009 - (Page 18) { S P E CI AL RE PO R T} any areas that need adjustment or advance on aspects of product design,” says Elease Wright, head of human resources at Aetna. HEALTHY PLANET WellPoint believes its Personal Sustainability Project (PSP) pilot is unique because it o ers employees the ability to make health and environmental choices based on their personal objectives and local needs. “We believe employees will be more likely to commit to a positive, life-enhancing initiative when it is one they create based on what is most important to them,” says Kevin Williamson, sta vice president, clinical strategy and innovation for Health Management Corp., a subsidiary of WellPoint. Jointly developed with sustainability rm Saatchi & Saatchi S, the pilot enrolled 450 WellPoint employees on a voluntary basis to help them connect to their own higher purpose, which might involve co-workers, family, community and the environment. PSP “captains” from WellPoint attend training led by Saatchi & Saatchi S and then conduct workshops to educate and inspire fellow associates on the principles of personal sustainability. In addition to receiving ongoing support, associates will be able to track their progress. Daily practices could include anything from riding a bike to work or using eco-friendly household cleaning products, to eating healthy meals instead of fast food. PROGRAMS EVOLVE “Low absenteeism and presenteeism are just as important for health plans, and they have to be just as competitive in attracting and retaining the best talent as other employers,” says Todd Hastings, senior director, Healthways. Wellmark was one of the rst health plans in the country to use the GallupHealthways Well-Being Index that analyzes its employees and members. The Index is based on a corporate well-being survey designed to speci cally measure health and wellness issues in the workplace. Knowledge gained from the survey illuminates the exact areas where wellness dollars should be spent to bring the most impact. “We want to be thought leaders in wellbeing, so we can show our customers we practice what we preach, and because we believe it is a competitive and moral necessity,” says Kevin Teale, senior communications consultant, Wellmark. This year’s initial ndings showed 90% of Wellmark’s employees believe there is a high degree of cultural support for wellbeing in their workplace, compared with 40% of Wellmark members, says Teale. Ninety-three percent of its employees take part in its wellness program. The number of employees at high risk of health problems has declined, while the number at low risk has increased between 2006 to 2008. Wellmark has evolved its wellness strategy over the years. For example, prior to 1999, it o ered programs such as weight loss and smoking cessation. In 1999, it began o ering of “ ex dollars” for healthcare and its rst nancial incentives for healthy behaviors. “The program has advanced to a point now where employees are o ered nancial incentives to complete a health assessment, then achieve improved health outcomes over the course of a year,” Teale says. According to Hastings, health plans as employers themselves must take a comprehensive view of wellness and focus on areas that will result in the greatest return on investment. MHE ∂ Walk the talk by testing wellness programs with your own employees before rolling them out to clients Make Wellness Work ∂ Acquire data to support decisions and changes in wellness programs ∂ Integrate data to monitor employee response ∂ Work wellness into the culture of the organization by offering onsite tness or healthy food options CIGNA spokeswoman. CIGNA’s Healthy Life strategy combines consumer-directed health bene ts with wellness and work/life programs, as well as targeted communications and events. Extensive online and personal support is available to assist people at all stages of health education and planning. The company monitors health engagement and health risk. Engagement is measured against participation in disease management, health advisor programs, the Healthy Pregnancies/Healthy Babies maternity program, tness center use, and other wellness program initiatives. A health risk assessment also provides data. In December 2007, more than 13,000 CIGNA employees completed a health bene ts survey to assess where employEMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ees stood. CIGNA Corp., like most companies, “Over 75% of our workforce is aware faces high healthcare costs, absentee- of the resources available through the ism and diminished productivity. In Healthy Life program and most impor2007, CIGNA spent $153 million on tantly, 55% have made progress against healthcare. The company established their personal health plan,” Barone Rosaa Healthy Life strategy program to en- nio says. courage healthy lifestyles. CIGNA employees mirror the U.S. “Having a dedicated Healthy Life population in health concerns, including strategy educates and more fully engages obesity, cardiac problems, diabetes and employees and their dependents in their lack of exercise. The company’s workforce health-related decisions, and encourag- is more than 70% female, so maternityes action,” says Gloria Barone Rosanio, related utilization is especially costly. 18 FEBRUARY 2009
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