Pg 52
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Editor’s Letter
Pursue Your Passion with Continued Education As we move into 2012, I consider education the key to our success. And while that seems like a given in any profession, it is more crucial than ever before to keep our minds sharp, our skills fresh and our knowledge of Healthcare Reform as top priority on our To Do’s.
Jonathan Edelheit
President, Editor-In-Chief
Employer Healthcare Congress www.EmployerHealthcareCongress.com info@BenefitsLiveMagazine.com
That being said, I reflect on a Greek Proverb that stumbled upon my desk, “Whatever is good to know is difficult to learn.” I felt these words translated so perfectly with our initiatives to fully comprehend the obstacles we face with Healthcare Reform. “Imperative” does not even begin to describe the necessity of understanding how it will affect all industry players. Understanding and adapting to the new changes is essential, but it’s not as simple as “googling” a few keywords into the search engine. That is why Benefits Live Magazine is committed to educating our readers on all the up-to-date news and insights in the area of employee benefits. Our publication is at the forefront of educating our readers on everything that makes this industry tick; from Healthcare Reform, to everything in between.
With education as our top priority, I am happy to announce our “certification programs,” designed to revolutionize our industry and help HR and Insurance Professionals receive the credit and designation of their hard work, in the specialty they are most passionate about. Industry professionals have the ability to receive four specialty designations that will not only enhance your education, but enhance your career, resume and business card!
• • • •
Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist™ Certified Healthcare Reform Specialist™ Certified Self Insurance Specialist™ Certified Voluntary Benefits Specialist™
Individuals that apply to become certified in Self Funding, Healthcare Reform, Corporate Wellness or Voluntary Benefits have the opportunity to take courses online, onsite at the Employer Healthcare & Benefits Congress, October 24-26th, 2012 in Fort Lauderdale/Miami, or at an approved provider event offered by other associations, organizations and conferences. The requirements and standards of our new certification programs require individuals to take 16 credit hours of rich educational sessions, with the latest information and case studies, and then pass a comprehensive exam. Upon completion of the exam, individuals will receive the specific designation to use on their business card. An online exam will be provided to these participants, allowing them to take the courses at the conference and then follow up with the test on their own time to earn their accreditation. The continuing education requirements ensure that recipients of the certification designation stay up to date on industry trends and best practices. The importance of continued education in the employee benefits industry is vital, and therefore, not always the easiest to obtain. Our goal is to provide the resources and tools to continue your education and become specialized in your niche within employer healthcare. It is not designed to be simple and elementary; the course is implemented to designate you as a specialist. Your continued education will be a challenge, but what classification as an expert isn’t? “Whatever is good to know is difficult to learn…” We agree, but only because becoming specialized in the industry is not designed for you to blend in with the other suits. You will gain the knowledge to set yourself apart, and the road will be challenging, but what a rewarding journey it will be.
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Table Of Contents Corporate Wellness Magazine
Editorial Staff Editor-In-Chief Energy Boosters.....................................................................................................8 Why New Year’s Should Be a Time for Corporate Wellness Resolutions.............14 Heart Health: If You Can Measure It, You Can Manage It ....................................20 New Apps Improve Employee Wellness................................................................24 Creating a Culture of Wellness with Employee Outreach and Social Media.........28 American Crisis - Health of our Nation’s Truck Drivers.........................................32
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Jonathan Edelheit
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10 Reasons Why Your Wellness Program Lacks Participation.............................36 Corporate Wellness Leadership Awards Recepient Profile ...........................44
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Megan Chiarello Jenny Dodson Sarah Hunt Associate Editor
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Voluntary Benefits Magazine
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Tercy U. Toussaint
Employer Assisted Care: Not Just for Children....................................................50 Financial and Legal Wellness Bolsters Employee Productivity & Loyalty............52 Critical Illness Insurance......................................................................................56 Lost Work Time = Lost Revenue What are your employees legal and identity theft problems costing you and your company’s bottom line?.............................62 Going Beyond Eye-Popping Entertainment: 3D Technology Can Lead to Early Detection of Vision Problems...............................................................................68
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Start a Health and Wellness Program in 2012 5 Compelling Reasons Why to Start Now.........................................................................................................72 Volunatry Benefits Magazine Leadership Awards Recepient Profile............78
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Self Funding Magazine B.I.N.G.O…and Safety Is It’s Name-O...............................................................84 Viking Range Uses Care Management Technology to Save on Health Costs..................................................................................................................88 Tennessee Overhauls Captive Insurance Law To Become National Leader......94 Comparing the Caring........................................................................................98 How Defined Contribution Health Benefits Help Employers Recruit and Retain Employees............................................................................................102
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Healthcare Reform Magazine The Inspired Workplace...................................................................................110 Take Control of Your Health™ Employers Helping Employees Make Good on New Year’s Resolutions...........................................................112 95
Innovation Healthcare 6
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info@BenefitsLiveMagazine.com Copyright © 2012 Benefits Live Magazine. All rights reserved. Benefits Live Magazine is published monthly by Global Health Insurance Publications. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any way without express permission from Benefits Live Magazine. Requests for permission may be directed to info@BenefitsLivemagazine.com. Benefits Live Magazine is in no way responsible for the content of our advertisers or authors.
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Why New Year’s Should Be A Time for Corporate Wellness Resolutions Pg 14
New Apps Improve Employee Wellness Pg 24
American Crisis - Health of our Nation’s Truck Drivers Pg 32
Corporate Wellness
Energy
By Kathy Gruver, PhD
Boosters
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Written By Dr. Kathy Gruver Author of The Alternative Medicine Cabinet
We’ve all observed children playing. We watch for a second and then say, “Gee, I wish I had their energy.” And then everyone laughs as they remember what it was like to not tire as quickly as we do now. I’m not guaranteeing you’ll be running around the playground by morning, but I do have some suggestions that can help boost your energy. Making sure you get proper nutrition is key to our energy levels. Since most of the food we eat is either processed, irradiated, minerally depleted, genetically modified, sprayed with a chemical, or artificial, I recommend taking a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement. The B vitamins are essential for good energy, increasing B6 and B12 is my first suggestion for weary clients. Don’t take them too late in the day or they may interrupt your sleep. Getting a wide variety of minerals is also essential. Everyone stresses the importance of calcium, but there are so many other minerals we need like iron, magnesium, molybdenum, copper, zinc, etc. Taking a good multi mineral supplement can help. Also, remember that we need protein for energy. Amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, can be taken in supplement form. I especially recommend this for vegetarians or non-red meat eaters.
and not just a bunch of caffeine. Too much ginseng, like caffeine, can cause racing heart, palpitations or nervousness. Again, moderation is the key. And speaking of caffeine; I personally don’t believe caffeine is bad….per se. Though remember drowsiness is not a caffeine deficiency! Too much can cause sleep disturbances, jitteriness, heart issues, anxiety and is often addictive. Ever have that day where you can’t get your morning java? How long before that headache kicks in? Try not to have caffeine too late in the day or if you’re prone to heart issues or anxiety. The newest boosting craze is energy drinks like Red Bull, No Fear, Full Throttle and Rockstar. These drinks are high in sugar and caffeine and can lead to a later crash and physical addiction. This is much worse for children than adults. High amounts of caffeine cause extra excretion of calcium, which in young girls can lead to osteoporosis later. These drinks can also be very addicting. Another new trend is mixing these energy drinks with alcohol. That’s not the best choice. Alcohol is a depressant and caffeine and sugar are stimulants. Yes, it allows you to drink more alcohol but this combination could be disastrous as it clouds your judgment as to how drunk you actually are. This can lead to driving with someone intoxicated, taking sexual risks and increased injury.
When we hit that afternoon slump, most people reach for soda or a candy bar. Often we crave something sweet and use glucose as an energy source. Make sure that what you’re getting contains real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup or a form of artificial sweetener. These trick our bodies into thinking we’re getting sugar but it’s really an unusable substance. Don’t over do it on the sugar though, or you’ll crash later and feel worse. Often what we really need is fresh air or water. Do some deep breathing, get outside and have a big glass of water. That will probably perk you up as much as the afternoon cup o’ joe.
I know the last thing you want to do when you’re already tired is exercise. But, a review of 12 largescale studies on the connection between exercise and fatigue found a direct link between a reduced level of fatigue for people who were physically active compared to those who were inactive. Other research shows that even among people with chronic illness like cancer or heart disease, exercise can ward off feelings of fatigue and help people feel more energized. This doesn’t mean you have to run five miles, even 15-20 minutes of walking or light exercise can make a difference.
Ginseng is a natural stimulant that can be taken in herbal form or is contained in specialty beverages. Make sure what you’re drinking actually has ginseng
Since our bodies are 80% water, keep yourself hydrated. If we wait until we feel the sensation of thirst, it’s too late, and we’re already dehydrated. Drink
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Corporate Wellness
“If we are constantly telling ourselves that we’re tired and have no energy, it’s just programming the body to behave that way.”
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water throughout the day, which helps with blood flow and removal of toxins. Remember caffeine is a diuretic, which causes increased output of urine, so caffeinated drinks don’t count. Pure water is the best! We can also boost energy by deep breathing. Oxygen carries energy to our cells, which will give us a natural perk. Try four slow deep breaths (use your abdomen not just your chest) and get a natural high. Get enough sleep. It stands to reason that if you’re not sleeping well, you’re going to have low energy the next day. It’s a myth that we need eight hours of sleep. We need as much as we need. Some people are fine on six hours, while others need 9 or 10. Go to bed when you’re tired if at all possible. Don’t force yourself to stay awake at night, especially by artificial means. And during the day, if you’re really tired and can take a nap, take one. But make it short. Don’t sleep too much or you’ll have trouble sleeping at night. Attitude makes a difference. If we are constantly telling ourselves that we’re tired and have no energy, it’s just programming the body to behave that way. Change your mind to change your body. Try affirmations like: “I am wellrested and energized.” “I am filled with vigor.” “My energy is boundless.” You’ll have better results with positive thinking. If you’re finding that your energy is consistently low, make sure there’s not an underlying condition like anemia, hypothyroid, adrenal insufficiency, infection, Fibromyalgia, low blood sugar, depression or cancer. Blood tests can help rule out a medical problem. Also check any prescriptions or over the counter medications you’re taking to see if fatigue might be a side effect. I hope these ideas help you increase your energy. May your nights be restful and your days filled with liveliness and light. Yours in health!
About the Author Dr. Kathy Gruver, Author of The Alternative Medicine Cabinet, has earned her ND as a Traditional Naturopath and PhD in Natural Health. Gruver has been featured as an expert in numerous publications and has written dozens of health and wellness articles. She has appeared as an expert on over 60 radio shows and speaks nationwide. More information can be found at www.TheAlternativeMedicineCabinet.com.
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Why New Year’s Should Be a Time for Corporate Wellness Resolutions By Mark Verstegen
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Around the country, motivation to train is never higher than on January 2nd. On-site company gyms are packed, memberships are sold in droves, and enrollment in digital or wellness-coaching programs skyrocket. New Year’s resolutions may often fail, but the momentum, excitement, and intentions behind them demonstrate that people often have an interest in transforming their health, but consistent engagement, motivation, and support is a challenge.
Written By Mark Verstegen
Founder of Core Performance
That’s why I propose that companies, not just employees, set wellness goals for 2012. Setting company-wide wellness objectives achieves makes health a C-level priority (which automatically get the attention of your employees), gives middle managers the incentive they need to engage employees in a meaningful way, and creates a powerful employment brand to recruit and retain high achievers. Below are three resolutions all US companies should make this year, along with some tips to bring it all together: 1. Don’t Try to Swim Upstream: Make it your mission to create and implement a program that intersects with your company’s culture. If your corporation is filled with engineers who work long days, focus on mini-recovery stations on each floor that can be utilized to increase energy and reduces aches and pains during ten-minute breaks in the day. If you already have training programs in place that help young employees transition from college into their work life, make health a component of those initiatives so that fitness and nutrition are not afterthoughts—they are part of the existing infrastructure employees complete as part of the on-boarding process. I meet with so many companies who try to put their existing culture and wellness initiatives at odd—doing so is like mixing oil and water. Instead, identify trends, culture patterns, and communication channels that work for everything in your organization and apply lessons learned to your health programming. 2. Think Outside the Box: Employers often think about wellness within the confines of a fitness center or gym, which is incredibly important. But for your nonmovers in particular, many of them haven’t set foot in the gym and are too scared to take that risk, and to lower your healthcare costs in 2012, you simply must impact those individuals. For 2012, make it a priority to find people who are too intimidated or too busy to participate in existing programs and identify creative ways to engage them. At Cerner Corporation in Kansas City, they met this goal by placing simple signs about topics like hydration, aches and pains, and consuming more fruits and vegetables in cafeterias, stairwells, hallways, and elevator banks—reminding people about simple strategies they can adopt to make a life change is critical to the overall success of your program. Your culture, your values, and your wellness programs should permeate your employees’ lives—give them a reason to believe in themselves and your company with an innovative, thoughtful approach to their health. 3. Walk the Walk: Often, C level executives want employees to “do as I say, not as I do.” It’s imperative Corporate Wellness Magazine |
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“New Year’s resolutions may often fail, but the momentum, excitement, and intentions behind them demonstrate that people often have an interest in transforming their health, but consistent engagement, motivation, and support is a challenge.�
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that instead of spending our time emailing, calling, and preaching to people what they should do that we as leaders walk the walk. You want employees to use the on-site cafeteria for healthy eating needs? Commit to being there twice a month with a registered dietician who can answer employee questions about their nutrition needs. You want employees to increase their energy levels and performance? Do your next company telecast from a standing desk and ask everyone to stand up with you to do a few quick stretches to get it started. Sales team on the road non-stop? Make sure every single one of them has a company branded card with the healthiest suggestions they can find at major airport restaurants so they can make informed decisions on the road. A great example for all of us in Leo Percopo, the General Manager of the Sheraton in Downtown Phoenix—in addition to creating a workout space for employees to use, Leo made his Executive Council meetings a wellness opportunity, integrating their regularly scheduled meetings with fitness activities, nutrition education sessions, and recovery techniques to reduce aches, pains, and stress. If you’ve identified your goals for the year and set a plan to achieve them as a company, here are some tips to make sure they succeed: Post it: After two years, almost 81% of resolutions have failed (Norcross & Vangarelli, 1988, cited in Psychology Today). One proven way to improve your chances of succeeding whether you’re a large corporation or an individual employee is to write your goal down and post it publicly. Social media can be a great tool for this— use Twitter, Facebook, your blog, and your company’s internal communications outlet to energize people around the goal—doing so will keep you and your entire team accountable to it. Celebrate: Celebration is often left off the map in a wellness setting—we toast people’s birthdays and anniversaries (and rightly so!) but don’t take enough time to celebrate health. If your company set a goal of getting 80% of employees to complete HRA’s and you hit it, organize a healthy snack break to celebrate your team’s success. Health should be fun and engaging, not something that feels like a chore, and celebration is a critical component of that mission. Set Reminders: Nobody likes to have a finger wagged at them, so instead of saying “hey guys don’t forget about this goal we set”, find other ways to remind folks to reengage in the company’s health mission. Set monthly themes to cue people to re-focus their efforts, and identify stress traps such as three months into resolution time in March and the holidays, as scheduled time to revisit and energize employees in a meaningful way. Don’t Skip Recovery: Often times, in the race to save money on healthcare costs or create a cutting edge opportunity, corporations overlook recovery as a critical component of employee health. Two things happen
when this occurs: first, employees look at the fitness initiative as just another item to add to their plate, which is overwhelming, and two, no matter how many great programs you implement, if you don’t have well-rested employees you’re never going to have an optimal work environment. Whether you’re giving people ten minutes a day to reduce aches and pains, or teaching them proven sleep techniques to get better rest at night, don’t overlook recovery when it comes to your own health and the wellbeing of your company. So in the spirit of starting the year off right, let me say this—I believe resolutions do and can work, and that every company should consider setting wellness goals for 2012—doing so will help reduce healthcare costs and develop the positive momentum required to transform the culture in your workplace.
About the Author
Mark Verstegen is the Founder of Core Performance, an industry leader in proactive wellness for leading-edge companies. Core Performance currently works with companies including Intel, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and Walgreens to deliver personalized, integrated solutions for better health. Mark and his team at Core Performance are innovative and results-driven, having developed proprietary intellectual property that helps drive deeper personalization of programs in a scalable manner. To learn more about Core Performance, visit us online at www.coreperformancewellness.com.
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Corporate Wellness
Heart Health: If You Can Measure It, You Can Manage It Obesity might be “socially contagious” but so is fitness...
By Michael Williams
In May of 2007, I saw a five-part series on Obesity on CBS nightly news. On Monday they linked obesity to high blood pressure, Tuesday, high cholesterol, Wednesday, acid reflux and Thursday, asthma. I was 42 years old and I was on medications for all of the above but it wasn’t until Friday that I decided to do something about it.
Written By Michael Williams
Manager of Finance, IT and Wellness Coordinator at a Provincial Government Agency in Winnipeg Canada
In the last segment on Friday, the series on obesity closed with the notion that obesity is “socially contagious” and that “if you are obese there is not much you can do about it” and it is “okay.” I new in his heart of hearts that this might be true for some small percentage of the population but it certainly was not true for me. I also knew that fitness is contagious too. I decided at that moment to take personal responsibility for my health and get back in shape. For all of my single adult life, I was a marathon runner and avid cyclist. After getting married at 35, I somehow lost my motivation to stay trim and fit. Life got complicated as my family grew and exercise gradually became less and less of a priority. To make matters worse, my wife is a fabulous cook so over the course of our first seven years of marriage I put on 50 pounds and my BMI was 32.5, which categorized me as a solid “class I obese”.
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Over the same seven-year period, my doctor started prescribing medication for my high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and acid reflux. My heartburn was severe and very painful despite the medications so eventually I was referred to a specialist and had laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery. When my weight peaked I was also prescribed an inhaler for asthma to cure my chronic coughing. My annual co-pay was approximately $2,500 so the cost to “the system” was likely to be $25,000 per year:
Prescribed Medications
Diovan 320MG Felodipine ER 10MG HCTZ/Spirono/Aldactazide 25MG Simvastatin 40MG Omeprazole 20MG ADVAIR 250/50
genetic and that I should not be discouraged if I was unsuccessful with such an aggressive goal. That motivated me even more. As a businessman, I am very familiar with the old adage, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” and knew it applied to anything for which you want to take personal responsibility. Health and fitness was no exception. I realized that in order to be successful I would need to set goals and track my progress. I’d need to track my cardio exercise as well as monitor my health related metrics. I did extensive research to see if there were any existing programs or websites to help with the tracking but didn’t find anything that did the trick. So I tracked my plan and progress with Excel spreadsheets and charts. Every morning when I woke up I recorded my weight and blood pressure. When I exercised, I captured my caloric burn using a Polar heart rate monitor. I soon discovered that burning 3,500 calories a week would keep me on my planned weight loss trajectory. I watched my blood pressure go down in perfect correlation with my weight as it dropped and that was a huge motivator to keep up the hard work. The last few weeks I burned over 6,000 calories a week because I was so determined to hit my goal.
Health Issues High Blood Pressure Ild Hypertension High Blood Pressure/Fluid Retention Elevated Cholesterol Gastroesophageal Reflux Asthma / COPD I realized that I was slowly killing myself and that if I didn’t do something about it I would not be around to walk my beautiful daughters down the aisle one day. My new motivation was family and I knew what I needed to do: take back my health through fitness. First thing Monday morning, I scheduled an appointment with my doctor for a physical the following day.
You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: I went to my doctor for a physical and had my blood work done and I told my doctor that I would be back in 7 months. I planned to lose 50 pounds, back to my college weight, so I could get off all of the meds. He informed me that my issues could very well be
I returned to my doctor exactly 7 months later and 50 pounds lighter. When my doctor analyzed my blood test results, he was thrilled and told me that I could stop taking all of the medications. I have been free of any prescription or over the counter medications for more than 4 years after reclaiming my health through fitness.
Dashboard For Healthy Living® As I reflected back over my journey to reclaim my health through fitness, I realized that the hardest part was all of the manual tracking. I am a (recovering) CPA so when I need to I can get obsessive about tracking details but most people won’t manually log activity, exercise and health metrics manually for more than a few days. I knew that if I could figure out a way to “automagically” track someone’s activity, exercise and health metrics and graphically display their progress that I would be on to something big. So I founded iTMP Technology, a wireless health startup, and began to work on a Dashboard for Healthy Living.
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Corporate Wellness
“Whether we are talking about individuals or corporate wellness programs, automated measuring and tracking is the key to successfully empowering individuals to reclaim their health through fitness.�
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In February of 2009, iTMP Technology, Digifit’s parent company, launched a wireless bridge, SMHEART LINK™ and iBPM+, the first iPhone app that doubled as a heart rate monitor. Over time, the products evolved into the Digiit Ecosystem®, a community of interacting fitness sensors, health monitors and smartphone apps that help empower people to get fit and stay healthy. There are now literally thousands of great apps for tracking health and fitness and a virtual explosion of new gadgets to track and wirelessly log health and fitness data. Whether you use Digifit’s app and website and our partner’s sensors and monitors or other solutions, the most important thing is to begin the process of tracking. When you go to the gym and watch different people working out, there are many who go long and hard … underneath them is a pool of sweat that is evidence of their hard work. Others come to the gym, get on a machine or two and leisurely go through the motions without breaking a sweat. A heart rate monitor connected to a smartphone or a cloud-enabled activity monitor ( like Fitbit or Bodymedia ) allows you to assess and track the overall intensity of a workout. It is that intensity, not just showing up, that health club-based wellness programs should focus on. Using mobile devices and sensors also opens up the opportunity to track activity and exercise outside the gym. Whether we are talking about individuals or corporate wellness programs, automated measuring and tracking is the key to successfully empowering individuals to reclaim their health through fitness. Deploying smartphone connected wireless fitness sensors and cloud connected health monitors also enable corporate wellness professionals to use objective data to evaluate and continuously improve the efficacy of a wellness program.
About the Author Michael Williams is the Founder of Digifit®, the most comprehensive cardio fitness & health tracking system on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (coming soon to Android). Digifit was founded to revolutionize wellness with a patent pending ecosystem that empowers people to get fit and stay healthy with an automated wireless Dashboard for Healthy Living®.
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Corporate Wellness
New Apps Improve Employee Wellness By Nancy Sansom
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Numerous studies show that improving employee wellness decreases employer healthcare costs. In addition, research directly correlates employee benefits with overall employee satisfaction. Now employers can combine these two factors – employee wellness and benefits – into one integrated package.
Written By Nancy Sansom
Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Incorporating apps into an employer’s benefits management platform makes it easy for employees to enroll in wellness programs at the same time as they enroll in medical and voluntary benefits. Apps extend the value of the benefits management platform by integrating all benefits in one place, thus creating a more robust benefits package in a cost-effective, user-friendly way. A rich benefits package encourages employee retention and increases loyalty. Comprehensive employee wellness programs that significantly impact employees include a combination of physical, financial and community wellness initiatives. According to MetLife’s 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefit Trends, employees who are satisfied with their benefits are nearly three times as likely to express a strong sense of loyalty to their employers. By using apps to offer wellness benefits that employees can access year-round, instead of just when they are sick, companies are improving employee satisfaction while improving wellness and reducing healthcare costs.
Wellness Apps Many employers have already incorporated wellness initiatives into their current benefits offerings, available to employees through their benefits management platforms. Whether they are corporate-wide programs or personalized health alerts, wellness apps help employees take control of their health. Some innovative examples include:
Genetic Wellness: Navigenics, a leading provider of genetic analysis, helps employees understand their unique genetic information and develop strategies to reduce their risks and manage their health. After analyzing a simple DNA test, Navigenics shares confidential, personalized genetic information with employees to motivate behavior changes. The confidential online Navigenics portal provides genetic predispositions for specific health conditions and medication sensitivities, with a focus on conditions that employees can take action to prevent. Employees are also assigned a board-certified genetic expert who provides one-on-one counseling to help employees and their doctors make the most of these genetic insights. Personalized Health Alerts: Customized health-related alerts
give employees real-time knowledge to take control of their health and ultimately reduce their own out-of-pocket expenses. One such tool is Just InTime® Wellness, available from healthcare solutions provider SCIOinspire. Just InTime Wellness sends personalized, proactive alerts to notify users when preventive services are recommended or a “gap-in-care” is identified by analyzing the individual’s healthcare data. Employees are able to choose how they prefer to be notified when they have an alert: through text message, e-mail, telephone or mail. Upon logging into their secure benefits management platform, employees see alerts displayed prominently on the home page and are encouraged to take action. For instance, an employee who has identified a chronic condition may be sent a reminder to refill a prescription. Additional educational information is available to employees, including related healthcare videos, articles, calculators and symptom checkers.
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Corporate Wellness Personal Health Assessments: Employees can com-
plete a Personal Health Assessment (PHA), an online health survey that delivers a confidential health analysis and encourages them to adopt healthier lifestyles. Biometric screenings, physical exams and online questionnaires can all be incorporated into the PHA. Each employee receives a personalized, confidential report called the “Personal Health Profile” based on his or her PHA answers, biometric screening results, or a combination of both. The profile provides a detailed analysis of the individual’s complete health with videos and personalized recommendations to improve wellness and lower health risks. Employers can financially reward employees for completing a PHA by offering a reduced healthcare premiums or contributing funds to an HSA. Employees are then able to see the impact these financial awards have on their personal benefits costs during the enrollment process.
Drive Physical Behavior: Employers often struggle with
developing wellness programs that effectively engage employees, which is a necessity for establishing long-term behavioral changes. Sonic Boom, a high-tech wellness company, offers innovative programs that drive exceptionally high participation by using competition and social interaction. Focused on improving employee health habits, Sonic Boom offers daily challenges that are fun and active. Their unique program includes state-ofthe-art accelerometers, social networking, games, competition and proprietary tools to influence behavior change.
Financial Wellness Apps Building a strong financial foundation is essential to overall employee well-being and satisfaction. Some employees may be new to the financial planning process, so it is essential for employers to provide access to financial information in a userfriendly manner that explains complicated financial terms and concepts in simple, clear language.
Identity Theft Protection: Identity theft rates are rising and employers are eager to mitigate the effect it has on employees, productivity and corporate liability. According to industry reports, it takes an employee between 58-165 work hours to remediate identity theft and costs companies and employees more than $54 billion each year. InfoArmor, a trusted provider of identity theft protection and privacy management services, understands the risk and cost associated with identify theft. The InfoArmor App assesses employee’s risk, deters identity theft and detects fraud in its earliest stages, an average of 90 days before regular credit monitoring. Should an employee’s identity be stolen, InfoArmor provides a high-tech system for managing the restoration process and fraud reimbursement policy to cover expenses. Financial Wellness: Consolidated Credit Counseling Ser-
vices helps employees deal with life-altering credit, debt and financial issues. The Consolidated Credit Counseling Services App provides free financial planning information and videos to educate employees on the skills necessary to live a financially secure lifestyle. Budget calculators, worksheets and more than
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30 videos teach employees to live within their means and stay financially fit. By using these tools, employees are encouraged to save and invest while they reduce expenses and debt. The app offers guidance on establishing achievable financial goals, building a personal budget, managing financial stress and planning for the future.
Community Wellness According to United Healthcare/Volunteer Match’s Do Good. Live Well survey, 89 percent of participants reported that volunteering improved their sense of well-being and 68 percent found that volunteering made them feel physically healthier. Giving back to the community through volunteer efforts and monetary contributions not only helps those in need, but also benefits employees by improving their physical health.
Charitable Giving: Corporations have an opportunity to sup-
port employees’ philanthropic efforts by encouraging volunteer time, matching charitable contributions or introducing employees to various nonprofit organizations based on employees’ unique interests. One innovative example comes from GiveBack, a public charity that helps individuals donate to the nonprofits that matter to them. The GiveBack@Work App allows employees to give to any charity through automatic payroll deductions. GiveBack ensures that 100 percent of donated funds reach their intended recipients and helps employers promote social responsibility within an organization. And because donations are set up through payroll deductions, employees can easily and consistently support their favorite causes.
Successful Wellness Programs Wellness programs and apps are most effective when employees are engaged and using them on a regular basis. Some employers offer reduced health premiums or more robust benefits plans to employees who participate in wellness programs. The apps mentioned above can easily be incorporated into an employer’s existing benefit management platforms, so employees can quickly access them from the same portal they use to enroll in benefits and communicate with their HR team. By giving employees access to a variety of wellness and financial tools, employers can begin to drive behavior change and improve overall well-being and employee satisfaction.
About the Author Nancy Sansom is responsible for marketing, corporate communication, creative services, strategic planning and events for Benefitfocus. She has held multiple roles including Vice President, Product Management and Marketing, overseeing development of the Benefitfocus Platform and applications. Sansom has more than 15 years of experience with an extensive background in software product management, marketing, implementation and consulting. Prior to joining Benefitfocus, she was a Senior Associate at Cambar Solutions.
“By using apps to offer wellness benefits that employees can access year-round, instead of just when they are sick, companies are improving employee satisfaction while improving wellness and reducing healthcare costs.�
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Creating a Culture of Wellness with Employee Outreach and Social Media By Scott Leavitt
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Written By Scott Leavitt
Senior Vice President of Sales for Self Health Network
As more and more companies start to implement wellness programs to address the continued rise in health care costs and the need for healthier employees. They are constantly trying to address the issue of actually creating a “Culture of Wellness” instead of having a “Program of the Month” mentality. Every wellness program launches with great hopes and expectations that everyone will participate. As the first few months end, so does the excitement of the program and typically the programs visibility. In order for a company to accomplish the goals of reducing health care costs, and having healthier and more productive employees it needs to have employees that use the wellness program. Wellness programs that have created a “Culture of Wellness” have kept the program visible to employees by having a plan in place to communicate the program on a monthly basis. This doesn’t need to be labor intensive but needs to be promoted consistently by a person the company assigns to be their Wellness Champion. The Wellness Champion is the person who promotes the program to the rest of the employees; this person should be a person within the company’s leadership team. The Wellness Champion can reach out to the other employees by promoting the program with such tools as posters and flyers that highlight certain parts of the program. These posters and flyers can address taking a Health Risk Assessment (HRA), setting up a fitness plan or tracking the foods they eat. These posters and flyers should be placed in areas that will be seen easily such as the employee break rooms or in high traffic areas.
The employee’s should also receive monthly newsletters that also coordinate with the message being promoted each month. The monthly messages should be laid out in advance of rolling out the program in a systematic implementation guide. Having a different message each month will address the different needs and interests of each employee. Reaching out to employees with incentive and reward programs has also assisted in creating the “Culture of Wellness”. Companies that keep their reward programs visible and fresh continue to see significant increases in employee participation. I have seen companies that create and promote different wellness reward campaigns keep their employee excited all year long. With the increase of social media sites over the past few years such as Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and other sites people are now communicating with each other about all different aspects of their lives. People like the idea of being connected with their friends, family and co-workers and finding out what is going on in their lives. Staying connected and getting support is a critical success factor for employees to improve their health and attain their wellness goals. Social media tools allow members to communicate with people within their organization through blogs, message boards and member-created health groups as well as organize teams, group activities, and competition. Social media can be a powerful tool. Social wellness media helps members and companies create member engagement towards building a focused and enduring wellness culture in the organization.
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“Staying connected and getting support is a critical success factor for employees to improve their health and attain their wellness goals.”
There are solutions available to create the lasting “Culture of Wellness” and make a company’s wellness program successful. Companies need to embrace these new solutions as they move forward to achieving the real purpose of a wellness program, which is to help a person make choices that result in positive lifestyle changes and in overall well-being.
About the Author Scott Leavitt, with 20 years of experience in insurance and wellness, brings strong leadership to the role of Senior Vice President of Sales for Self Health Network. He has been quoted widely on health care, insurance and wellness. Scott was the 2008-2009 President of the National Association of Health Underwriters.
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American Crisis -
Health of our Nation’s Truck Drivers By Stewart Levy
Written By Stewart Levy
President and Founder of Health Promotion Solutions
In America, nearly 1 of every 15 people in the workforce is employed in the trucking industry, including over 7 million truck drivers on our roads. Due to an unhealthy lifestyle and lack of good nutritional options while traveling, truck drivers are categorically one of the unhealthiest populations in our country. Indicative of the challenges facing this population, the average life expectancy of drivers is 61 years (Global Insight May 2005). Statistics from the National Institute of Health show that more than 50 percent of truck drivers are obese, compared to the national rate of 26.7 percent. Compared to the general population, the prevalence of diabetes is 50 percent higher and 87 percent of truck drivers have hypertension or pre-hypertension, compared to the national average of 58.3 percent (JOEM 2009). These health issues place a toll on families, impose a financial burden on employers and have created regulatory challenges for the federal government due to the related safety issues on our roads. The most important aspect of these statistics is that these conditions are preventable through modifying risk factors. Among the general adult population, 21 percent smoke, and 49 percent exercise regularly, while 54 percent of commercial drivers smoke cigarettes and only 8 percent exercise. With the proper lifestyle choices, these drivers can reduce their disease risk and increase their life expectancy and quality of life.
Existing Regulatory Safeguards DOT Exam - To obtain a certified drivers license, commercial drivers must pass a biannual Department of Transportation (DOT) Examination, which consists of a comprehensive physical including assessment of medical history and biometrics. To qualify for their license, drivers must meet a number of baseline measures. The truck driver’s blood pressure must be 140/90 or below. If the driver is diabetic, the disease must be well controlled generally without insulin. The
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driver’s respiratory functions cannot interfere with sleep. In addition, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is beginning to require fleets to document their employees’ health due to related safety issues. Compliance Safety and Accountability Act of 2010 addresses roadside safety violations. The CSA has added Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) that addresses FMCSA requirements. The Driver Fitness BASIC will require fleets to adhere to documenting drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to a lack of training, experience, or medical qualifications. To be in compliance with the Fitness BASIC, drivers must be able to prove that they are physical and medically qualified through holding of a medical certification card. National Provider Registry – Beginning in 2014 the government will require registration of DOT examiners to ensure quality certification of a driver’s health. The National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) program would require medical examiners receive training and pass a certification test before being listed on the Registry. The program addresses the range of knowledge, skills and abilities needed to adequately perform physical examinations of CMV drivers.
The Barriers Improving driver’s health does not go without challenges. Commercial Drivers work extremely long days, in a high stress environment. Their job requires them to meet tight schedules and stay alert for up to 14 hours a day. Drivers remain sedentary for long periods of time and lack of quality food options provide for poor nutrition and diet. Over 80 percent of drivers report unhealthy eating habits, which consist of fast food, high sodium content, and no fruits or vegetables (Brewster June 2007). Uncomfortable living conditions and working schedules are a recipe
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for unhealthy, irregular sleeping patterns. These behaviors and their implications for chronic disease have become a growing concern for the government as it relates to safety. This is especially in regards to the high prevalence of sleep apnea, blood pressure, and uncontrolled diabetes. It’s not a matter of adopting a wellness program to address chronic disease, but more importantly the challenge of getting the drivers to participate in the programs in order to raise awareness. Only 30 percent of drivers self report that they have a primary care physician, which may be due to the transient nature of the job and psycho-social issues regarding drivers’ health. With little access to primary care, healthy food, opportunity to exercise, and a compromised overall social wellbeing on the road, drivers encounter tremendous barriers to change, and demonstrate a tremendous health education gap as it relates to nutrition, exercise and healthy habits.
Support for Trucking Fleets and Drivers Though not all wellness interventions have proven to be successful, health coaching has been implemented at trucking companies such as J.B. Hunt Transport, one of the largest transportation logistics companies. In support of the company’s strong commitment to healthier lifestyles, J.B. Hunt along with Aetna provided online wellness programs and health coaching to employees and their families. At the end of the program, 68 percent reported improvement in body-mass index (BMI) and the number of people saying they eat more fruits and vegetables increased 29 percent (Aetna 2007.) Health coaching, provided a scalable model across the country, can have great influence on the turn around these drivers and companies need to achieve.
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In response to the new demands, fleet terminals are now beginning to offer health screenings, workshops, kiosks, and building fitness centers. Truck stops such as Flying J and TA Petro offers programs called StayFit, which are programs designed to address making better choices at truck stops. These programs offer mapped out walking trails, fitness centers, and shelf signs identifying healthier options.
New Opportunities to Improve Driver’s Health Convenient Care Clinics have created a national network of DOT clinics, and have launched a new initiative focused on the health and wellness of truck drivers across America. Leading organizations such as CVS / Minute Clinic, Little Clinic, RediClinic and Walmart, offer DOT exams and ongoing wellness services for truck drivers in over 600 of their member clinics. These providers are educated on the DOT exams and are trained according to FMCSA regulations. In addition to the DOT medical examination, retail clinics offer wellness services such as biometric screenings, disease management programs, smoking cessation, weight loss programs and nutrition counseling. Convenient care clinics have been shown to provide improved access to care as well as quality and affordability as compared to urgent care and emergency rooms. They are currently located in 35 states and employ approximately 8,000 nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Along with the existing health technology and web-based management, retail health clinics can prove to be outstanding
“Beginning in 2014 the government will require registration of DOT examiners to ensure quality certification of a driver’s health.”
options as a “medical home” for those drivers without primary care and traveling on the road. With the use of electronic medical records, these clinics have the capabilities of linking patient records to primary care physicians, insurance companies, hospitals, and other clinics across the country. These systems provide a means to ensure continuity of care no matter the driver’s location. Along with wellness programs, the use of technology is essentially the bridge to providing quality and effective care for this population. The retail clinics have begun to foster relationships with trucking organizations including the Truckload Carriers Association, State Associations, and Independent Drivers Groups to promote the opportunity for drivers to utilize the clinics for DOT exams, acute and chronic care needs.
Making an Impact on Driver’s Health The need to improve the health of our nation’s truck drivers is no longer an option. It requires immediate attention and will involve “disruptive changes” in the working environment and within our healthcare delivery model. The environment for drivers must be conducive to good health. Truck stops and fleet terminals must begin to offer healthy food products and make fitness equipment available. Drivers’ also need to have improved access to health education resources and technology such as health kiosks. Fleet programs should include workshops on wellness with professional staff and health screenings similar to their
existing workshops on safety. Also, new and improved healthcare delivery models, such as convenient care clinics, can be offered to drivers for DOT exams and health and wellness programs for themselves and their families. Finally, implementing a successful health coaching model has the ability to improve the prevalence of chronic diseases and could be an important wellness resource for the trucking industry. There are opportunities for organizations focused on health and wellness products and solutions to support these efforts. With the commitment of drivers, employers, and health and wellness professionals, we can provide the resources and means to increase the quality of life and highly impact safety on our nation’s roads.
About the Author Steward Levy is the President and Founder of Health Promotion Solutions. Health Promotion Solutions provides consulting, biometrics, health coaching, and lifestyle management programs to impact chronic diseases for employers nationwide. Our expertise is providing evidenced-based assessment tools which provide meaningful outcomes, creates employee engagement and measurement of ROI. To learn more about our work with trucking fleets, retail clinics, and how your organization can benefit, please contact info@Healthpromosolutions.com.
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10 Reasons Why Your Wellness Program Lacks Participation By Todd McGuire
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Written By Todd McGuire
This is the first installment of a 4 part series on a model for designing and managing a wellness program that gets measurable results. Each part of the series will cover one of the four stages of the model shown below. This “4 R’s” model can be applied to a broadbased wellness program or a narrow effort targeting a specific wellness area. In all cases, the objective is the same: Build a wellness program that gets used by your population while generating measureable results for your organization. Achieving this requires
sustained participation over a long enough period of time to lead to genuine behavior change. We’re trying to replace many years (or decades) of bad habits with new, healthier ways of living. This takes time. We will begin by discussing 10 common pitfalls that can derail your efforts to reach as many of your employees as possible. Avoid these common mistakes and you should be able to optimize the participation level in your wellness program.
Co-Founder and CTO of incentaHEALTH
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Pitfall 1: No Incentives It’s tempting to take the position that “good health is its own reward, so everyone should sign up for this program.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t get most people to take action. I call that “Wellness 1.0 Thinking.” The “motivated minority” will respond to this approach, but they are the minority. You are trying to get to the non-participating majority that usually sits on the sidelines. Modern wellness programs attract the most people when incentives are involved. Done properly, incentives will create a buzz in your workplace. That’s “Wellness 2.0.” Instead of expecting your employees to leap at the opportunity to improve their HDL cholesterol, try appealing to their inherent interest in rewards. This will get your employees to take notice of your program and hopefully attend an information session that should lead to them signing up. Juicy gossip spreads fast, so there’s nothing better than having your employees ask one another “Did you hear about that new program that actually pays you to lose weight?!” (Insert the goal of your wellness program here.) Plan on using incentives every year as an integral part of your program.
Pitfall 2: Misplaced Incentives So now you know that incentives are a key ingredient of a successful wellness program. But that’s just the beginning. Early attempts at incentive-based wellness programs tried applying the incentives to the first step of the process: Reach (or participation). This is tempting because it seems like the natural way to get people to join your program. The problem is that it leads to short-term thinking, “I just need to sign up and then I’ll earn the incentive,” and short-term programs filled with participants who aren’t really committed to changing their behavior. True behavior change is essential to a meaningful program that will help your employees and your bottom line. To achieve this holy grail of behavior change, try to align the incentives with real outcomes that can be measured. If your program is focused on reducing hypertension, then measure pre and post blood pressure levels and align your rewards based on improvement. If you are aiming for weight loss and decreasing obesity, then help your employees track their baseline weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) and reward them for progress every three months (or whatever interval fits your organization) as measured by their new and improved weight level. This shift from “pay for participation” to “pay for performance” is crucial to create a long-term culture of health.
Pitfall 3: Pull vs. Push Wellness 1.0 was all about “Pull” models of coaching - books, passive web sites, posters. They can have great information, but they suffer from a critical flaw: They require the employee to be motivated to seek out the information. There is a “motivated minority” that will do just that, but you’re missing the majority who won’t make the effort.
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Your employees are busy. They often have more projects on their plate than they can reasonably handle. Ask most people what they do with 5 minutes of downtime between projects and they will be much more likely to get a quick news fix at CNN. com or ESPN.com on their phones than they are to diligently look up some nutrition information or log what they ate for lunch today. Fortunately, Wellness 2.0 has the answers: email, SMS text messages, Facebook, Twitter.
Pitfall 4: Wrong Communication Channel What could be better than getting a personalized phone call from a nurse or coach who is dedicated to helping you improve your health? For some folks, that is ideal. But for a lot of busy, stressed out employees who already spend all day on the phone for their job (see Pitfall 3 above), the threat of another phone call is enough to scare them away from a wellness program. Survey your employees. Ask them what would make wellness easier for them. We did, and the results were clear: 91.5% of our respondents are on Facebook (N=1,893) and 77% use social media tools at least weekly. So we now interact with our participants through those channels. Contact me at tmcguire@incentaHEALTH.com for a free copy of our “2011 Mobile and Social Media in Wellness Survey” if you’d like to see more.
Pitfall 5: Short Term Thinking Another Wellness 1.0 mistake is to think wellness is a 6-week contest or a 12 week boot camp. Those things can be part of the answer; but you really need to stress the expectation that you’re asking your employees to adopt a new lifestyle where they know how to choose proper sized portions of healthy food, where they build the habit of taking the stairs instead of the elevator, where they make their health a daily priority. Unfortunately some of the reality shows on TV condition us to think getting healthy is something that can be achieved once and then forgotten. Speaking of reality, it’s more like brushing your teeth. The results don’t last, which is why it’s recommended daily! Undoing 15, 20, even 30 years of bad habits takes time. Usually more than 6 weeks. Most people will stumble a few times before finding success. I have seen the best success when we’ve told employees that this is the start of a multiyear campaign. The first stage is one year in duration. You’re going to earn incentives every three months for achieving, and maintaining, improvements in your health.
Pitfall 6: Privacy is Just a Legal issue HIPAA does a good job of making the protection of personal health information a priority. It may also make us obsess over the legal requirements and perhaps overlook the reality that good privacy can actually increase participation. With the use of private screening kiosks, anonymous Q&A with health coaches over email, and online tools that allow team competition without revealing individual stats, Wellness 2.0
can attract the ideal demographic to your wellness efforts. As an example, the typical profile of a participant in wellness programs we’ve run is as follows: 43 years old, 33 BMI. These are great stats in terms of getting the people who need the most help to join your program. Many executives we’ve discussed this with are thrilled because this demographic is the exact opposite of what they see when they put in a corporate gym. Gyms are great resources, but they often attract folks who are already working out and in shape. The 43-year-old with the 33 BMI is often intimidated by all those healthy gym goers (which is why over 70% of the employees we’ve coached choose the home-based exercise option that is emailed daily at 3:00 AM to their computer or smart phone). We hear from a lot of participants that they are doing simple strength exercises at home for the first time because they feel comfortable following an email and grabbing a soup can or set of resistance bands to do the exercises. That’s real world behavior change taking place!
Pitfall 7: Wellness is a Serious Medial Issue Health and wellness is as serious as a heart attack. Unfortunately that doesn’t translate into how you should market your wellness program to your employees. The reality is that most people are not motivated by stern lectures
from their physician. They usually just want to look and feel better. We’ve asked thousands of employees to rank their motivation for improving their health, and the top answer is always the same: “To fit in my old jeans.” And there are some other really good options on the list like “My doctor told me to get healthy” or “To have more energy for my family.” Maybe in another article I’ll dive deeper into some of the neat stats we’ve collected over the years about what the most common barriers and motivators are for people trying to improve their health. As wellness professionals, we know that the health of our employees is critical for them and for our organizations. But when we’re focused on getting people to take the first step and enroll in a wellness program, we need to move beyond just the medical reasons and highlight how joining the program will help each employee reach goals that matter to them. Now that we know our participating employees’ number one motivator is to fit in their old clothes, we highlight the fact that all participants using our kiosk for screenings get a private, full-length digital photo of every one of their screenings. As a result, many employees use the kiosk once a week. We only require that they return to the kiosk once every 3 months, but they tell us they really like seeing the pictures of their progress! Motivation is a personal matter. Your job is to find out what that motivation is and harness it.
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Pitfall 8: Wellness is Not Always a Team Sport One of the most popular features in corporate wellness programs is the team challenge. Many people love them and get very competitive, which is great! But for everyone that loves team-based approaches, there is someone (and usually many “someone’s”) who is sensitive about their health and would rather make it a personal journey. Make sure you respect that difference, especially when it comes to incentive programs. I have seen programs run the most smoothly when there are individual incentives for everyone who reaches benchmarks, and then group incentives for those who opt to participate in the team challenges.
Pitfall 9: Overly Thorough Enrollment Process Data is good. More data is often better. As wellness professionals, we usually thrive on data. But there’s a very real risk of trying to get too much data. I’m not talking about overstepping privacy borders. I’m talking about enrollment forms that are just too long. You’ll know you’re guilty of this pitfall when you have to resort to incentives just to get people to sign up. A well-designed—and short—enrollment form will get people started in 5 minutes or less and you won’t need to spend a dime on participation. Save those dollars for rewarding progress!
Pitfall 10: Offer the Wrong Program Tell me if this sounds familiar. You conduct a comprehensive Health Risk Assessment (HRA). The HRA stratifies your workforce according to prevalence of health risks. You then find and implement wellness programs that address each of these areas. You communicate with your employees that have hypertension something like this: “Hello Employee 2314, we have a great program to help you lower your blood pressure.” This makes perfect sense on paper, but again
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there’s a fatal flaw. Except for that “motivated minority” we talked about, many of your employees will see the information about that hypertension program and file it away in their “Health Plan” folder as something to look at when they get the time. And if you entice them with an incentive to use your hypertension program, some will reluctantly do it for just long enough to get the incentive. That’s not real behavior change. Instead, find out what’s motivating your employees and try a more foundational wellness approach to get things moving. Virtually every HRA finds the same thing: Your workforce is overweight, stressed out, sedentary, has high blood pressure and has (or is heading for) heart health issues. Guess what is recommended (to accompany the medications that are prescribed) for each of these issues? The answer: Healthy eating and active living. If your employees are like the ones I’ve worked with over the years, they are already thinking about how to look and feel better and fit into their old clothes. So give them a program that helps them do just that, while also addressing just about every risk found in your HRA. Once your employees take those first steps and start feeling better, they just might be more receptive to the specialized programs that you have waiting in the wings. In the next stop in this series we will look at the alwayschallenging topic of retention as we work our way toward the goal of building measurable wellness programs that get results.
About the Author Todd McGuire is the co-founder and CTO of incentaHEALTH. In this role, Todd has helped design and implement winning wellness programs across dozens of worksites in the U.S., U.K., Singapore and Puerto Rico. He can be reached at tmcguire@ incentaHEALTH.com
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Corporate Wellness
As a part of our ongoing features for our 2011 Corporate Wellness Leadership Award Recipients, this issue dives into the dynamic wellness achievements made by Honeywell and the City of Highland Park. We recently caught up with Cheri Fisher, Wellness Program Director, who was awarded the Corporate Wellness Leadership Award on Honeywell’s behalf for their “Know Your Numbers” program. The Health and Wellness Center assists employees, spouses, and retirees to know their body’s health numbers by concentrating on one assessment per month; blood pressure, body composition, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, flexibility and waist-to-hip ratio. As a result, member fitness assessment participation has increased and has also given them, and the company, valuable information about their health and what services Honeywell can provide in the future to increase their quality of life. Because of these efforts, Honeywell was honored amongst a handful of other companies at our 2011 Annual Corporate Wellness Leadership Awards Ceremony that took place at our 3rd Annual Corporate Wellness Conference, October 26th-28th, 2011.
Cheri Fisher
Jolene Moore
Honeywell
City of Highland Park
Wellness Program Director
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Wellness Administrator
Cheri Fisher
Wellness Program Director Honeywell Left to Right: Jonathan Edelheit, Senior Editor, Corporate Wellness Magazine and Cheri Fisher, Wellness Program Director, Honeywell
Corporate Wellness Magazine: Are all employees taking advantage of their monthly assessments? Give a brief description of how the “Know Your Numbers” campaign derived.
Cheri Fisher: Our Know Your Numbers campaign came about to accomplish a few things. First we were seeing a drop off in the
amount of fitness assessments that members were taking part in due to the 30-45 minutes it took to complete the full assessment. Therefore, we decided to focus on one part of the assessment each month to make it simple and quick for them. We measured body composition, blood pressure, BMI and waist/hip ratio, cardiovascular endurance, strength and flexibility. Each one was highlighted for a month with a bulletin board about that specific assessment, what the scores meant and how to improve their score. This series lasted for a 6-month span and then we repeated the same cycle so members could complete each assessment 2 times during the year. We found this was an easier way to get people to complete the assessments with it taking much less time. In addition to getting our members to know their numbers, getting this data also gave us feedback on where we needed to focus our energy when it came to programming. It enabled us to design programs specific to the area(s) we were seeing lower scores in.
CWM: Are all employees taking advantage of their monthly assessments? CF: We are encouraging all our members to get into a routine of having their “monthly number” checked and hope to grow our participation in 2012 with a few new changes to the program. We have found our employees have specific assessments they want to participate in over others. In the New Year we will focus on educating the employees about why each of these numbers is important to their health.
CWM: What do you feel is the key component, which led to the increase in Honeywell’s employee engagement? CF: Two main things happened in 2011 that we contribute our increase in employee engagement to: 1. Marketing – we were able
to send our calendar of monthly events site wide to all Honeywell employees instead of just those that were members of the fitness center. This increased the awareness of our programs and services offered. We now had individuals attending programs that previously weren’t since they were not receiving the information prior to this year. Also, all new employees are now contacted within their first month regarding our fitness and wellness programs and services that are offered. 2. Revamped Programs – employees look forward to their favorite program that comes around each year, i.e. Route 66 incentive program, we found ways to keep these repeated programs but also reinvent them so they were a little different and fresh for those who have participated year after year.
CWM: What does corporate wellness look like going forward for the company? CF: It is a goal that the corporate wellness program at Honeywell continues to grow and improve the health and well-being of the employees. With the nation’s health care situation, is it important for our employees to take an active role in their health, whether it’s getting educated on the risks of cardiovascular disease, getting up and moving more throughout the work day or dropping that added weight to get into a healthy range. Rick Loewen, Director Health, Safety, Environmental and Facilities, says “wellness programs are most successful when the organization and employees are fully engaged in the program with good health in mind. A successful workplace isn’t about the bottom line alone. It also means creating a safe and healthy workplace for each individual.” Our team is dedicated in providing programs and services that meet the needs of the employees and improve their well-being while at work and home.
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Jolene Moore
Wellness Administrator City of Highland Park
Left to Right: Jonathan Edelheit, Senior Editor, Corporate Wellness Magazine and Jolene Moore, Wellness Administrator, City of Highland Parks
Corporate Wellness Magazine also interviewed Jolene Moore, Wellness Administrator, who received the Corporate Wellness Leadership Award on behalf of the City of Highland Park based on their WIN program initiatives. The wellness program was developed to enhance the lives of its employees and their families by providing convenient and confidential access to health information, free or low cost preventative health and disease management resources. As a prerequisite, employees are required to complete preventive milestone health screens. In the last three years employees have reported many significant and potentially lifesaving results which they were proactively able to address. These efforts indicate why the City of Highland Park was honored at our Annual 2011 conference. Below is an excerpt from our conversation.
Corporate Wellness Magazine: Please describe some of the preventative health and disease management resources that your wellness program provided to employees. Jolene Moore: We provided required USPSTF screens that were covered by insurance. The wellness program also
required participants complete the appropriate screens in order to earn points toward the insurance discount. Additionally, our program followed national observances for many of the screens. For example, October is breast cancer awareness month and one of the USPSTF screening requirements is for breast cancer. The wellness program requires all participants be up to date on their mammograms. We’ve also provided education material on cancer prevention by having a speaker from the American Cancer Society come in for a lunch and learn. The Wellness Coordinator was also the Team Captain for the local breast cancer walk. Educational emails, pay check stuffers and posters were made available to all employees.
CWM: What is the percentage or number of prevented life saving cases that have occurred within the last three years? JM: That number can’t be calculated exactly. It is an estimate of cost savings by those incidences of risk factors that were
detected due to the screenings. At the same time, health screenings are protected health information and employees are under no obligation to reveal the health history. That being said, it was “reported” to the wellness coordinator that there were two cases of skin cancer detected and treated, one case of potential breast cancer was detected and treated and at least six cases of polyps were detected and removed due to colon rectal cancer screenings. Two people also reported quitting smoking.
CWM: Has employee engagement been enhanced? JM: The way our wellness program is set, with regards to preventive health, employees are engaged from the beginning. The weight of the preventive screens is enough to encourage employees to participate (i.e. engage) in the screening from the onset of the program (i.e. worth a significant amount of points).
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CWM: What does your company accredit the increase in employee involvement to? JM: We haven’t increased engagement in this area. Engagement/Participation is at 85% for preventive screens. As previously mentioned, the points system is weighted where employees need to complete the recommend preventive screens in order to earn the desired points, they are motivated to complete the screens. Plus, with the education that has been provided, they realize the importance of this preventive measure.
CWM: How does the City of Highland Park intend on evolving their wellness initiatives in the future? JM: The City of Highland Park is looking to further engage employees in a number of ways moving forward. Individual outreach will be made to employees, individualized educational and informational opportunities will be offered, and a new venue to hold the employee accountable to their personal health will be explored. Thanks so much for your time! Congratulations again on the success of receiving our 2011 Corporate Wellness Leadership Awards!
Cheri Fisher
Jolene Moore
Honeywell
City of Highland Park
Wellness Program Director
Wellness Administrator
Corporate Wellness Magazine |
February |
2012
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Pg 52
Pg 62
Seven good reasons to offer Aflac benefits to your employees 1. You can provide Aflac at no direct cost. Aflac policies are 100% employee-paid and are available on a voluntary basis. Many companies choose to make Aflac policies available as a costeffective solution to help employees with the rising cost of out-of-pocket health care expenses.
2. Aflac policies are easy to administer. We designed our policies with you in mind. No lengthy training sessions. Who has time for that? With coordinated enrollment and online tools, Aflac makes it easy for your employees to participate.
3. Aflac complements your company's existing benefits. Aflac is different from major medical. It pays cash benefits directly to your employees, unless they choose otherwise, when they're sick or hurt. Your employees can choose the areas where they want additional coverage.
4. Aflac helps attract and retain employees. Great benefits are a top priority for employees when considering where to work. Aflac policies are an easy way to boost your benefits package and help increase your employees' morale at the same time.
5. Over 430,000 companies of all sizes make Aflac available to their employees. Companies in almost every industry have made Aflac an important part of their benefits package. Whether you have 3 employees or are a corporate giant, you can provide the same protection at no direct cost to your company.
6. Aflac helps many companies save on FICA and FUTA taxes. Aflac's tax-advantaged plans allow employees to use pretax dollars to pay for their policies. When you lower the taxable income of your participating employees, you may also reduce your overall share of the FICA and FUTA taxes.
7. Aflac now offers Wingspan Services and Solutions. From educating your employees about benefits to enrollment and administration, Wingspan Services and Solutions works for you and your company.
Get the facts for your business. Call : 1-866-951-4800 Richard Peterson, Regional Sales Coordinator
Independent agent representing Aflac
Individual coverage available from American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, individual coverage available from American Family Life Assurance Company of New York. Group coverage available from Continental American Insurance Company. Coverage and benefits may not be available in all states. Š 2011 Aflac Incorporated
Voluntary Benefits
Employer Assisted Care: Not Just for Children By Anne Harrington
In 1971, Arnold Hiatt, the then CEO of the Stride Rite Corporation, opened the first on-site childcare center, and revolutionized the way people balanced their work life with their home life. The program proved to be innovative and wildly successful. Today, nearly every major organization that prides itself on being an excellent place to work provides an on-site daycare center or some form of childcare assistance.
Written By Anne Harrington
COO and co-founder of Long Term Solutions and their WeCare+ service
As many great ideas originate, Hiatt and Stride Rite stumbled on the idea of their employer assisted daycare center. In the late 1960’s, women were leaving their homes to work at an escalating pace and baby boomers were beginning to start families of their own. This led to the need for affordable childcare. Hiatt’s childcare center was originally planned to be for underprivileged children living in the neighborhoods of Boston. Many of his employees could not justify the operating costs of the center, which was serving the community in general without direct benefits to them. With pressure from the labor union, Hiatt offered Stride Rite employees the opportunity to bring their own children to the center as well. The results were unprecedented, establishing Stride Rite as an industry leader in work/life balance and setting the foundation for the employer assisted childcare industry. Today, the combination of an aging population and an increased demand on both men and women in the workplace are leading to unheard of eldercare challenges for families. By 2030, the American population of people age 65 and over will double to 70 million1. The sandwich generation is expanding at a rapid pace. The average caregiver provides 21 hours of caregiving a week or 1080 hours a year2 and will lose over $500,000 in lifetime earnings3 due to this responsibility. As employees look to provide the best possible care to their loved ones, employers are experiencing the consequences. According to a recent MetLife Study, 62 percent of employed caregivers say they make some sort of workplace accommodation such as going in late or leaving early, taking a leave of absence, or dropping back to part-time due to caregiving responsibilities.4 This costs employers approximately $2,110 per employee annually.4 If you think this issue doesn’t affect your organization, picture this: 65.7 million Americans or 29 percent of the adult population
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are currently serving as caregivers2 and as the population ages that number will continue to grow. The eldercare dilemma is one that mimics that of the early years of the childcare issue. However, this situation is going largely unnoticed and is not being addressed. Employer funded eldercare assistance can provide access to resources to help employees manage this complex responsibility. The result will not only be an increase in employee peace of mind, but also an increase in employee loyalty and respect for your commitment to helping them gain work/life balance. There are also significant financial benefits for both employers and employees. According to the 2010 MetLife Study, research shows that investment by a company in helping with eldercare support has a pay back to the employer of 3 to 13 times the cost.4 The investment by an organization will help offset costs due to absenteeism, unpaid leave, replacing employees, reduction in employee hours, as well as distraction and presenteeism.4 Some options that are available to employers include offering subsidized and/or voluntary eldercare support programs provided by third party companies. Employers may also offer respite care and back-up care to employees. The most useful and practical support programs begin with a comprehensive assessment of the elder loved one’s current situation. This assessment informs the recommended plan of care. Employees then receive information on quality resources to support the plan of care and their caregiving needs. Organizations that deliver this service will become partners with the employees and their family in guiding and supporting their eldercare responsibilities. Employers that introduce and implement eldercare support programs will be innovators and industry leaders in this critical issue, just as Stride Rite was in the early 1970’s.
About the Author Anne Harrington is the COO and co-founder of Long Term Solutions and their WeCare+ service. LTS is a national healthcare company that specializes in helping families address the care needs of their loved ones. WeCare+ is a signature program designed to assist families with eldercare needs. Send inquiries to AHarrington@ LongTermSol.com.
“Employer funded eldercare assistance can provide access to resources to help employees manage this complex responsibility.�
Voluntary Benefits Magazine | February | 2012
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Voluntary Benefits
Financial and Legal Wellness Bolsters Employee Productivity & Loyalty By Bill Brooks For employees, the state of the economy and the state of their “financial and legal wellness� are interdependent. The need for legal services is greater than many people assume, and a number of economic factors are contributing to an increase in the demand for legal assistance.
Written By Bill Brooks
CEO of Hyatt Legal Plans, a MetLife company
52
Employers are stepping up to the plate to help employees by offering voluntary benefits that address financial and legal health. Recent studies show that financial and legal services increase employee productivity and feelings of loyalty for their employer, while reducing stress and improving their financial well-being.
Voluntary Benefits Magazine | February | 2012
The Need for Affordable Legal Services is Rising The financial challenges faced by many Americans have led to an increase in the number of foreclosures, refinancing and bankruptcy filings. These financial issues can translate into legal matters and the need for affordable attorney assistance. Data from Hyatt Legal Plans show a recent surge in the need for such services among employees. From 2005 to 2010, overall legal plan usage in the category of debt and financial matters increased 83 percent. Specifically, legal plan usage for
bankruptcy increased 77 percent, and usage for debt collection defense, refinancing and home equity loans both doubled during this time. Making a group legal plan available to employees provides them affordable access to a prequalified attorney to help them address legal issues associated with debt and finances.
Legal Plans Can Increase Employee Productivity and Loyalty Stress caused by legal issues can affect productivity by contributing to absenteeism and presenteeism. According to a Harris Interactive study, employees who did not hire an attorney to help with their legal situation were nearly three times as likely to spend five to 10 hours at work dealing with their legal issue than those who hired an attorney through a workplace legal plan. Furthermore, 50 percent of those who did not hire an attorney took time off work to deal with their legal issue, compared to only 30 percent of those who hired an attorney through work.
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Voluntary Benefits
A legal plan benefit can work to an employer’s advantage as well. Employees who participated in an online discussion as part of the Harris Interactive study, and used an attorney through work, reported an improved perception of their employer. According to MetLife’s 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends, employees who participate in wellness programs are more likely to report loyalty to their employer and perceive that their employer is more loyal to them. In addition, they are more likely to say that benefits are a reason they remain with their employer. With tough economic times and ever-increasing healthcare costs, employers need to be strategic in maximizing the value of their benefits program while minimizing additional costs to retain talent. Voluntary benefits, such as a group legal plan, alleviate the workplace impact of employees’ personal legal matters, help them improve their financial well-being and incent them to see their employers in a more positive light.
About the Author Bill Brooks is CEO of Hyatt Legal Plans, a MetLife company. Hyatt Legal Plans is the largest provider of group legal plans in the country, serving 145 Fortune 500® organizations. For more information, please visit www.legalplans.com or call 800-423-0300.
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Voluntary Benefits Magazine | February | 2012
“Stress caused by legal issues can affect productivity by contributing to absenteeism and presenteeism.�
Voluntary Benefits Magazine | February | 2012
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Voluntary Benefits
Critical Illness Insurance
By Ed Mueller & Laura Spencer
Based on statistics, we are more likely to survive cancer, heart attack and stroke today due to advances in medical technology.
Written By Ed Mueller
Partner of Life & Health Benefits Solutions LLC and Founder of the Critical Illness Support and Awareness
Ask yourself this: If you were diagnosed with cancer, heart attack or stroke, could you pay your bills for six months? Would you rather have a get well card or a check to cover these expenses? Critical illness insurance is meant to protect your savings account and provide peace of mind.
What is Critical Illness Insurance?
- Deductible on Health Insurance - Co-Insurance - Mortgage - Utilities - Car Payment
This type of plan could be considered a “Living Benefit� as the insured does not have to die to collect a much-needed benefit.
- Child Care
Critical Illness plans are designed to provide a source of income for the insured when they are diagnosed
- Treatments not covered by traditional health insurance
Written By Laura Spencer
Partner of Life & Health Benefits Solutions LLC and Founder of the Critical Illness Support and Awareness
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with a critical illness such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, and renal failure. This insurance pays a cash benefit directly to the insured upon diagnosis of a covered condition. The benefit amount can be used to pay for expenses, such as:
Voluntary Benefits Magazine | February | 2012
- Extended convalescence - Travel expenses
Voluntary Benefits Magazine | February | 2012
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Voluntary Benefits
“Critical illness insurance is meant to protect your savings account and provide peace of mind.”
Why Do I Need This Coverage? Most people will say that their health insurance is enough coverage. The health insurance pays the doctors, the hospitals, etc. It does not cover the mortgage payment, your regular monthly bills and your loss of income while recuperating. With the cost of health insurance plans today, many people are selecting plans with higher deductibles. The critical illness plan can also be used to cover the high deductible and co-insurance on a health plan. Statistics show that over 60 percent of medical costs related to cancer, heart attack and strokes are not covered by health insurance!
Everyone Needs This Coverage Ask yourself the following: Has any family member ever had cancer, heart attack or stroke? Has any friend or co-worker ever had cancer, heart attack or stroke? If your answer is “yes,” were they able to pay their bills while they were recuperating? Genetics plays a large role in one’s chances of being stricken with cancer, heart attack and stroke.
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Smokers are in a class by themselves and should not think twice about purchasing this coverage. Statistics show that smokers have a much greater chance of contracting a critical illness prior to age 65 than non-smokers. This coverage is necessary to anyone who uses tobacco products.
What Types of Plans are Available? Currently, and I use this word because of the rapidly expanding marketplace for these plans, you have a Specific Disease Plan, which generally covers one condition such as cancer; or a Critical Illness Plan which generally covers cancer, heart attack and stroke (but could also cover up to 18 different conditions). You will then select either an indemnity plan, which pays a benefit amount based on treatment received, or a lump sum benefit, which pays upon diagnosis. There are also life insurance plans that have a terminal illness or a living benefits rider. You must read and understand these riders before purchasing these plans. Generally, the terminal illness rider means you have to be diagnosed with a terminal condition and have less than 12 months to live. Only then may you file a claim. Life Insurance with a living benefits provision covers critical illness and chronic
disease. The benefit amount you may take against the policy amount is based on the severity of your condition.
Return of Premium Provision Most companies offer a plan that allows you to add a Return of Premium rider. This rider generally has a set period of time— for example: twenty years. If you pay all of your premiums, you will receive all premiums paid, less any benefit amount you may have received. Some plans may pay a prorated Return of Premium, which would pay a portion of the premiums back to you earlier than the full term of the plan. Be sure to check specific plan for details.
When Should I Purchase This Coverage? NOW. Most products on the market today offer these plans to people age 18 to 65 with some companies actually making it available to age 85. The younger you are when you purchase the plan, the less expensive the cost. You need to be aware that some plans reduce your benefit at age 65 and some terminate coverage at age 75. As with most insurance plans, your good health allows you to qualify for this type of coverage. Most companies will disqualify you from coverage if you have had cancer, heart attack or stroke, but we are seeing some companies allow you coverage after a certain period of time, which right now is based in years! The key here is to be proactive and purchase the plan as soon as you are monetarily able. Most companies reserve the right to raise premiums— so by purchasing the plan at a younger age, you are receiving a good value for the coverage offered.
How Do I Determine the Amount Needed for my Benefit? This coverage was designed to offer a cash benefit which you can use as you choose. This benefit amount is meant to protect your savings and provide peace of mind. With an “Indemnity” plan, you do not select a benefit amount as you are paid a “benefit” for each service rendered. These services typically include hospital confinement, radiation, chemo treatments, etc. The “Lump Sum” plans pay a cash benefit directly to you upon diagnosis. Here is where we need to determine what amount fits your specific needs and budget. The rule of thumb is to cover six months of living expenses at a minimum. You also need to cover the deductible and coinsurance of your health plan. Together this will provide you the benefit amount needed.
Do I Qualify For Coverage? Most offerings are “simplified issue” and they are generally for lump sum amounts under $70,000. Simplified issue is generally a few medical questions and with all “no” answers, you qualify. Benefits over $70,000 are subject to the underwriting process.
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Voluntary Benefits
You may find “guaranteed issue” plans in the group setting, which is exactly that: guaranteed issue. These plans are generally for a smaller amount— $20,000 is the norm— then what you would get with a simplified issue plan. You may even qualify if you have been diagnosed in the past with cancer, heart attack or stroke.
Am I Over Insured? Let me ask these questions, How many benefit dinners have you seen being held in your community for someone that does not have enough money to cover their bills when they have been stricken with a critical condition? How many families have you seen struggle with their finances due to medical bills from a critical illness? How many folks have you seen lose their home due to being diagnosed with a critical condition? These plans are relatively inexpensive for the value they provide. They can be used by small or large business owners to help protect their business if they are off work due to a critical illness. No matter how good your health insurance is, it will not cover all expenses you will incur if stricken with a critical illness.
What if I Already Have Disability? Disability Plans pay you a benefit when you are off work a set amount of time, which is called a waiting or qualification period. Most plans vary from 14 to 90 days before a benefit is paid. When the benefit is paid, you are going to receive approximately 60 percent of your earnings. My answer is yes, you should have this coverage along with your disability.
Where Do I Purchase These Plans? As this type of coverage becomes more visible and people are made aware of the benefits, then this product will be offered by everyone. We feel the agent plays a tremendous role in explaining the benefits of plans available and determining
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what is best for you. An agent is the professional in this picture and should be trusted to help. There are plenty of online sites making these plans available, but we still promote the use of a professional agent. You may also purchase plans through your workplace and you should do your homework on plans available if no agent is available to help. Associations and credit unions are another good source for purchase. I understand that all these wonderful plans available have their benefits. If we bought every coverage available we probably would not have any cash left over! We need to really have a checklist of the items that are most important to us. We need to consider our age, family status and lifestyle and especially if tobacco use is a factor. My belief has been to purchase what I can afford and start as early as I could. I do understand the need to live within your budget and I also believe that you should consider needs over wants, more realistically. This is one of those insurance plans that really is a necessity.
About the Author Ed Mueller and Laura Spencer are partners of Life & Health Benefits Solutions LLC and founders of the Critical Illness Support and Awareness Network. They recently authored and published two books on critical illness, one to help educate agents on the types and value of critical illness plans, and the second to give solid unbiased information to consumers. Together they have been providing agents and consumers a line of health, life and supplemental products for over 20 years with an area of expertise in the Critical Illness field. They recently launched a campaign to make 2012 The Year of Critical Illness Awareness. Visit us at www.cihelp.com or www.lahbs. com to view our informational videos.
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Voluntary Benefits
Lost Work Time = Lost Revenue What are your employees legal and identity theft problems costing you and your company’s bottom line?
By Andre’ Andropolis
Written By Andre’ Andropolis
Independent associate with LegalShield(SM)
Legal and identity theft services are now prized voluntary benefits. In the past four years, voluntary legal and identity theft plans have increased rapidly in worksites in the United States. Most, if not all, employees will eventually need the assistance of an attorney. Industry research has found conclusive evidence that legal issues cause workplace distraction, absenteeism and lost productivity.
can take out new loans, open credit cards, etc. The 18 – 29 age range reports one of the highest incidences of identity theft, though age doesn’t really matter because victims in general range from newborn infants to senior citizens. People in the 18 - 29 age range use the Internet frequently and put a great deal of their information on the internet without protection.
LSK Associates surveyed both white and bluecollar work environments for trends in employee absenteeism. The findings were startling! Of the eleven employee-listed “time work lost categories,” five now include legal and legal-related problems. Employees experience legal issues ranging from divorces, car accidents, credit troubles, home purchase, car repossessions, insurance cancellations, tax problems and personal bankruptcy.
In 2009, there were more than 11.1 million victims of identity theft and fraud. This is a new record number that illustrates both the volume and sophistication of online phishers and hackers, according to financial services researcher, Javelin Strategy and Research. Victims also lost $54 billion, which is a 12.5 percent increase. Last year, the number of new credit card accounts that were opened fraudulently shot up 39 percent, while new online accounts more than doubled. In addition, new e-mail payment accounts increased 12 percent. Nearly 3 in 10 victims said their data had been used to open cell phone accounts and at least 13 percent of all identity crimes from 2009 were committed by someone whom the victim had known.
LSK statistics confirmed that 48 percent of a company’s employees will experience some business or personal legal-related issues throughout the year, and be away from their jobs at least 51 hours per year to solve them. This time spent away from work dealing with legal issues, ends up costing employers thousands of dollars in terms of overtime, absenteeism, higher insurance and compensation premium claims, administrative costs and lost employee production. Studies show employees with legal problems usually: • Are absent five times more than average • Use their medical benefits four times more than average • Use their sick leave twice as often as the average employee • Experience a substantial reduction in their productivity
Identity Theft The threat of identity theft is increasing. For the last eleven years, identity theft has been the number one complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Though anyone can be the next victim of identity theft, victims are getting younger in increasingly alarming numbers. Child identity theft is the fastest-growing “form” of identity theft. Because credit checks don’t verify age, parents or relatives who steal a child’s identity
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In the past five years, about 500 million records containing personal information of U.S. residents stored in government and corporate servers were stolen or lost. Since little attention was given to database breaches before 2005, it’s a pretty good bet that everyone has had their personal information hacked into multiple times. Many people have received multiple notices letting them know that their personal data has been lost or stolen. Consumers who receive a data breach notification letter are more than four times as likely to become identity theft victims versus those who don’t. Yet in still, many who are alerted fail to take action. Legal and identity theft issues can have a devastating affect on an employee’s credit rating, their reputation, emotional state and morale. Last but not least, it affects your company. Employees are not only sidetracked by the emotional stress, they say that the impact of identity theft is similar to a violent assault.
“Legal and identity theft issues can have a devastating affect on an employee’s credit rating, their reputation, emotional state and morale.”
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Voluntary Benefits
Employees are not the only victims— companies are victims as well. Should there be a data breach, CIO magazine has stated that about 20 percent of your clients will terminate their business relationship with you and your company, 40 percent will consider it and 5 percent will hire attorneys. “When it comes to cleaning up the mess, companies on average spend 1,600 work hours per incident at a cost of $40,000 to $92,000 per victim,” according to the magazine’s 2006 statistics. There are many reasons why the cost is high and a lot of time involved. Here’s the start of a list of agencies and institutions that you may have to contact to resolve identity theft problems. - The three credit bureaus: Transunion, Equifax and Experian - FTC (Federal Trade Commission) - Social Security Administration - DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) - U.S Postal Service - Credit card companies - Banks and financial institutions - Police / law enforcement departments - Other applicable entities A voluntary legal service and identity theft plan offers peace of mind that comes from knowing the employee has someone to turn to when they need them most. A voluntary legal service and identity theft plan can enhance productivity and personal well-being. The employee benefits industry is obligated to provide a diversified benefit portfolio to its existing and potential clients, which include “value-added” low cost benefits like legal and identity theft service plans. These plans can enhance productivity, personal well-being and it can help you recruit and retain good employees.
Tips for Protecting Your Identity and Credit 1. There are valid reasons why you could be asked for your social security number: Your employer or financial institution may need it for tax and wage reasons (it’s necessary whenever a credit check is required). Don’t give your Social Security number, mother’s maiden name or account numbers to strangers who contact you— especially
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by phone, mail or online. Your social security number is the single most important part of your personal information that thieves can use to steal your identity and ruin your credit. 2. Keep track of the dates your bills or credit card statements should arrive. If they don’t arrive on time, call the creditor to make sure a thief hasn’t changed your address. 3.Protect your mail. Don’t leave outgoing mail in your mailbox. Take it to the post office or set-up a P.O. Box. Remove mail after it has been delivered. If you’re planning to be away from home, call the post office to request a vacation hold. 4. Put passwords on your credit card and banking accounts. Try to avoid using information like your mother’s name, your birth date, the last four digits of your social security number or your phone number. 5. Don’t carry your social security card with you. Leave it in a secure place at home. Give the number out only when necessary. Try to use other types of ID when possible. Don’t carry credit cards you don’t need. Many people carry multiple credit cards but only use one or two. 6. Remove personal information from old computers. If you delete sensitive files by using your keyboard or mouse, the files could stay on your computer’s hard drive where they can easily be retrieved. To make sure your files are unrecoverable, use a “wipe” utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive. If you keep business, medical, or personal financial information on disks, simply deleting it isn’t enough to protect the data when disposing of the equipment. Besides identity theft, data loss may leave you or your company liable under federal laws such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, Graham-Leach-Bliley or other state laws. Criminal penalties include fines and prison terms up to 20 years, not to mention the civil suits that can result. 7. Tear or shred charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, bank checks and statements, credit offers and any tax or bank documents that you throw away. Investing in a cross-cut paper shredder would be one of the best investments you can make. Cross-cut shredders provide more security by cutting paper vertically and horizontally into confetti-like pieces. The trade-off is these shredders may require more maintenance and generally cost more. With patience,
someone could reconstruct any shredded document if you have a regular paper shredder. Cross-cut shredders just make the job of reconstructing documents much more difficult for thieves. 8. Be careful online. Before making any purchases online, look for an “icon” of a “lock” in the lower right-hand corner of your browser window. If you see the “lock icon”, then you’re dealing with a secure website. Many websites look very professional, but may not be a safe place to leave your personal information. 9. Don’t put your trash out until the day that they pick it up. People that put their trash out on the street a day or two in advance are inviting anyone that walks down the street to rip open a few top bags just to see what’s there. 10. If you want to inspect your credit report, order a free copy from each of the three major consumer reporting agencies at www. annualcreditreport.com. Fight identity theft by monitoring and reviewing your credit report. You may request your free credit report online, phone or through the mail. Free credit reports requested online are viewable immediately upon authentication of identity. Free credit reports requested by phone or mail will be processed within 15 days of receiving your request.
Choose a comprehensive identity theft program with a legal service plan that complements it. Make sure that the identity theft provider you choose are experts in handing the seven types of identity theft that you might face one day: Synthetic, Driver’s License, Social Security, Child, Medical, Criminal or Character and Financial Identity Theft. If someone’s a victim of identity theft, they’re going to need to get an attorney involved because identity theft is first and foremost a legal issue. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of all identity theft issues require access to legal counsel. Most identity theft providers will send a kit in the mail when you become a victim of identity theft. Getting a kit in the mail means that you’ll be making all the calls and doing all the footwork. The time it takes an individual to resolve an identity theft situation on their own is anywhere between 55 and 600 hours or more, and between $1200.00 and $5000.00 in out-of-pocket expenses to resolve.
To Request your Credit Report by Mail:
Look for a company that is a true leader in the risk consulting industry with licensed, experienced professionals and a proven identity theft product. There is no way to stop identity theft, but you can minimize your risk. The way to minimize your risk is by choosing an identity theft plan that offers 24/7 credit monitoring and a plan that provides restoration services should your identity be stolen.
1. Download the request form (You need an Adobe viewer to view the requested form.) Print and complete the form
About the Author
2. Mail the completed form to: Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281 Your reports will be mailed to you within 15 days. Please, allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. To Request your Credit Report by Phone: • Call 1-877-322-8228 • You will go through a simple verification process over the phone.
Andre’ Andropolis is an independent associate with LegalShield(SM), and operates his business from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Andre’s focus is on offering LegalShield and the Identity Theft Shield to individuals and families. LegalShield can also be offered to companies as a voluntary employee benefit. For more information, please contact Andre’ or one of his associates at 877-400-6693 or visit his website at: andrej. legalshield.com
Again, your reports will be mailed to you within 15 days. Please, allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Choose an identity theft program and legal service plan that work together, because identity theft is first and foremost a legal issue
Voluntary Benefits Magazine | February | 2012
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Voluntary Benefits
Going Beyond Eye-Popping Entertainment:
3D Technology Can Lead to Early Detection of Vision Problems
By John Lahr
Today, 3D technology is everywhere. From movie theaters and televisions, to gaming systems and mobile devices, our exposure to 3D technology is becoming commonplace. But, 3D technology offers more than an eye-popping entertainment experience.
Written By
John Lahr
OD, FAAO, Vice President of Provider Relations and Medical Director for EyeMed Vision Care
The technology is also emerging as a public health tool, one that could suggest the importance of having a comprehensive eye exam. This step could transform the lives of a number of individuals who may be suffering from a vision condition and not know it.1 The technology’s ability to help diagnose vision conditions lies in how 3D viewing works. When individuals view 3D media, their eyes must work together to converge, focus, and track the image. But not everyone has an enjoyable 3D experience. Some viewers might experience headaches, blurred vision, nausea, and dizziness, among other symptoms, when watching 3D media. These symptoms could indicate a refractive or “out-of-focus” condition, such as nearsightedness,
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farsightedness, or astigmatism. Other causes might include binocular vision problems such a lazy eye, difficulty tracking, and difficulty keeping both eyes aligned. The American Optometric Association (AOA) estimates three million to nine million people suffer from binocular vision problems. By understanding why they are experiencing certain symptoms when watching 3D media, individuals are more likely to seek the help of an eye care professional. This opens the door to treatment and minimizing the risk of progression.
3D Use on the Rise 3D technology isn’t a fad. Media companies are launching dedicated 3D channels around the globe with ESPN and Discovery leading the way, and many manufacturers are gearing up for the mass production of 3D television receivers. A group of industry leaders, the 3D@Home Consortium, are committed to accelerating the commercialization
of 3D technology into homes worldwide. This group, made up of 50 companies, aims to provide consumers with the best possible 3D viewing experience by helping to develop standards, roadmaps, and education for the entire 3D industry.
The technology has helped students to better visualize subject matter in a new and interesting way and has resulted in improved comprehension and retention and greater class participation compared to the traditional non-3D style of presentation.2
The consortium, in partnership with the AOA, has encouraged movie producers to include a public health message at the beginning of every 3D movie. This message will encourage viewers who experience dizziness, discomfort, or who don’t experience the 3D effect, to schedule an eye exam with their optometrist, as these symptoms might indicate a vision problem.
Aside from boosting a child’s learning potential, as with adults, the technology can also open the door to child vision care.
Until recently, individuals who found viewing 3D media uncomfortable might have just disregarded their negative experience, but this public health message can encourage them to have an eye exam, which might uncover a previously undetected vision condition.
3D In the Classroom Educators are also using 3D technology in the classroom in various ways, including stereoscopic still images, microsimulations, complex simulations, short video segments, and longer 3D educational films.
According to the AOA, a significant percentage of young children have some degree of vision impairment, but most children aren’t aware that their vision is impaired, nor do they think they see differently from anyone else. For children, an uncomfortable 3D learning experience — similar to a negative reaction in a movie theater or in front of a 3D television — can indicate a vision problem and encourage them to ask for help. Early detection and treatment of binocular vision conditions are especially important in children, as their vision systems are still developing. With certain binocular vision conditions, such as lazy eye, eye care professionals have a much better chance of correcting the condition if detected earlier in life.
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Voluntary Benefits By identifying and correcting children’s vision conditions early, eye care professionals can decrease the risk for certain complications, minimize developmental problems, and maximize school performance. Impact on Eye Care Professionals The eye care industry has a unique opportunity to leverage 3D technology to capture both the public health benefits of the technology and capitalize on the potential for new patients. As the use of 3D technology continues to grow and as more individuals are exposed to the vision assessment benefits it provides, eye care professionals can expect to see more patients who have self-assessed a binocular vision condition. The AOA has produced a 3D Practice Kit to help eye care professionals prepare for an increase in these patients. The 3D Practice Kit can help eye care professionals create awareness about 3D vision symptoms, generate traffic and referrals with patients who understand why they have symptoms, and help eye care professionals to more effectively treat these patients. The kit is available to AOA members and includes education, practice, and community outreach guides as well as doctor and para-optometric education materials.
About the Author John Lahr, OD, FAAO, Vice President of Provider Relations and Medical Director for EyeMed Vision Care, has over 28 years of clinical practice as a licensed optometrist and has held various leadership roles in the American Optometric Association. He served as an original member of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of American Optometric Association (AOA) to develop practice standards for optometry.
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“The eye care industry has a unique opportunity to leverage 3D technology to capture both the public health benefits of the technology and capitalize on the potential for new patients.�
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Start a Health and Wellness Program in 2012 5 Compelling Reasons Why to Start Now By Stacey Sicurella
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Written By
Stacey Sicurella
Marketing manager for GiftCard Partners
Companies that work hard to set themselves apart often attract and retain top talent by offering voluntary benefits such as health and wellness programs. Offering a voluntary health and wellness program can be very attractive to prospective employees as a self-improvement perk, as well as motivating to employees. However, they find the opt-in component to lack intimidation. The results of such programs go well beyond motivation and lead to real cost savings and tangible positive results on employee performance, long-term health, and subsequent company healthcare budget savings. Recent legislation, wellness program grants for small businesses, and potential healthcare insurance cost savings, has facilitated a recent rise of health and wellness programs.
Employers Can Shape a Healthier Workforce Can employers really impact their employees’ state of health, as individuals and teams? The answer really is YES! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 65 percent of adults do not exercise regularly, half of all adults have high cholesterol, one out of every four adults has high blood pressure, and 30 percent are obese. These all-too-common health conditions can impact one’s ability to be highly functional, active, and productive in the workplace, but they also contribute to other chronic illnesses, which account for 75 percent of all healthcare costs in the United States . Many of these conditions can be prevented, or managed by participating in a mix of education, incentives, coaching, and success tracking offered in a health and wellness program. In 2011, GiftCard Partners ran a survey to determine what percentage of employers included gift cards as voluntary workplace program incentives in general, as well as for participating in their health and wellness programs. They discovered that 80 percent of the respondents include gift cards as incentives and of those, 30 percent are offering gift cards as health and wellness program incentives. This is an impressive number of employers offering health and wellness programs as part of their voluntary benefits contributions.
What to Expect from your Health and Wellness Program Many companies begin their health and wellness programs with offering employees a health risk assessment or biometric screening as a baseline
for potential health and wellness improvements. Common factors in these programs include: promoting wellness, adapting the work environment for healthier conditions, health coaching and education, online tools and resources, nutrition and physical activity programs, tobacco cessation, weight management, injury prevention and ergonomics, substance abuse programs, and condition management—like high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, and mental health wellness. All of these important healthcare factors can be inadvertently shifted to the background of our minds when commuting schedules and working dominates our waking hours. Employee health can be improved and company health care costs are often lowered via less utilization of health care services. Individual and team performance often improves and employee satisfaction can be effected, therefore retaining those employees who wish to improve their situations. The benefits of such programs include positive outcomes for the individual employee, the teams they work in, as well as for the company as a whole. One of our survey respondents, a hospital in Pennsylvania stated, “Our organization provides gift cards to employees for successfully completing our wellness initiatives. By offering the gift cards we have increased our participation from 15 percent to 39 percent in the first year.“ Enrollment and increasing participation over time can be a big challenge, but most want to know what their return on investment will be. Many wellness program vendors tout high ROI as part of their sales and marketing practices, so we look to non-profit organizations and those who provide truly objective studies and research for clarity on this topic. The National Institute for Health Care Reform cautions that realistically employers are most likely to break-even by the second or third year running their program, and should be ready to see “reasonable returns in the fourth and fifth years,” and ongoing from there. On this type of tiered timetable, the Institute reports “an average of 3.27:1 return in the form of reduced medical costs over three years and 2.37:1 in reduced absenteeism costs over two years. Although reports on mature program ROIs vary, several experts suggested that the most effective programs—“the ones that do practically everything right”—might ultimately yield hard ROIs in a range between 1.25:1 and 4:1.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, companies with wellness programs also tend to attract more talented employees, have better employee morale and experience, and less turnover.
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Voluntary Benefits How to Overcome Participation Obstacles Financial incentives have been found as key to initial enrollment and continued participation in health and wellness programs, which help companies maximize their investment in the program. Starting off strong with hitting your participation goal is important but how will you continue to engage participants and increase your participant rate? Gift cards, cash incentives, vacation or personal days, insurance premium contribution reductions, and health savings account contributions are amongst the most common forms of participation incentives. Gift cards such as merchant filtered cards, like the CVS SelectTM actually filter out purchases like cigarettes, alcohol and items that don’t support a healthy lifestyle. Other healthy gift card incentive choices include weight loss and weight control options, like Nutrisystem or healthy quick service food options, like SUBWAY. Regardless of the incentives you choose, they work to increase participation and maintain engagement over time for optimal results. Other successful strategies include setting up teams, so “friendly peer pressure,” teamwork and a sense of competition play a part in ongoing enrollment. This could include wellness reminders posted around the office, email tips for a healthier workplace, paystub wellness reminders, and implementing a fast track component that rewards for fast results. Robert Pillar, President of WellnessIncentivesPlus.com reminds us of the 80/20 rule: “Not everyone will participate in your program. Concentrate the bulk of your time and effort on those that are willing to make changes in their health, fitness and well-being. Don’t ignore or forget about the 20 percent– but spend the majority of your time continuing to motivate and inspire them to make a difference in their lifestyles. The other 20 percent may come aboard over time.”
How to Measure Results Employers themselves need motivation to continually prompt enrollment and engagement in your program. You will need to see and report on results to be able to show return on investment, not immediately, but over the course of a few years after getting started. In her Corporate Wellness Programs 101 presentation, Denise J. Holland, Director, President of Inside Employee Wellness & Consulting directs employers to hone in on how to measure results by defining your company’s wellness philosophy. She asks: “What are your most important goals and improvement criteria? Medical costs only, absenteeism, preventative screenings, employee participation, lifestyle improvements…all of these?” So what can real life health and wellness program results look like when matched to such focused criteria? Holland worked with a large manufacturing company with around 1. 2. 3.
950 employees nationwide to develop their health and wellness program. They reported the following results from 2008 through 2010: Participation Increases • 2008: 78 percent / 2009: 78 percent / 2010: 83 percent • Spouses: 2009: 35 percent / 2010: 49 percent Health Improvements • 7.4 percent decrease in employees with high cholesterol • 8.2 percent decrease in employees with high blood pressure • 9 Employees quit smoking Medical Cost Reductions • 2 percent reduction in year 1 of program • Year 2 – additional 2 percent reduction • Year 3 – increase in medical trend due to catastrophic cases • Improved medication adherence
The Thing Most Companies Don’t Get Right Denise Holland’s more than ten years of setting up successful wellness education and employee benefit strategies offers her a unique perspective on what many companies do not get right when setting up their program. Holland states, “Whether a company decides to set up their program themselves, or if they contract their health plan or a specialized vendor, there is an important foundation that many companies don’t get right. It’s something that should be the cornerstone of any health and wellness program: balancing company and employee goals with the benefits to and for the employee.” From the very beginning, a program should be designed FOR the people, as she put it, “know thy employee.” Knowing key demographic data about the employees help match goals and incentives to their needs and wishes, garnering participation and engagement. Your insurance company or third-party administrator should provide key aggregate demographic data like how many employees have conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, as well as prevalent genders, average age, race, etc. Regionally diverse companies have even more considerations in this area. These include the work habits and health trouble-spots for certain trades and job descriptions, as well as environmental issues inherent with any job. Is the employee a part-time forklift driver in New
The Times Leader: Workplace Wellness Gets Employees, Companies Healthier: Commentary Dr. Nina Taggart GiftCard Partners’s 2011 Gift Card Incentives White Paper And The National Institute for HealthCare Reform: Employer Wellness Initiatives Grow, but Effectiveness Varies Widely
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Mexico or a sales analyst in New York City? Will they have the same level of well care available to them? Will they both be paid for the time their well visit or physical takes, since it’s a company program? Will they covet the same incentives and rewards? The answer could be no for all those questions and employers need to take employee diversity into consideration in order to make a program successful. Health and wellness programs not only lower employer health insurance costs via creating a healthier and more productive workforce, but current federal healthcare reform incentives could rise from the current 20 percent of total premiums to 30 percent by 2014. This could perhaps rise as much as 50 percent in the future . The future for corporate health and wellness programs looks bright, and offering them as a voluntary benefit to employees might be just what the doctor ordered.
About the Author Stacey Sicurella, the Marketing Manager for GiftCard Partners, closely follows and produces content to inform on employee engagement issues and trends such as health and wellness, employee motivation, loyalty and retention.
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Voluntary Benefits
2011 Leadership Awards Recepient Profile
Q&A with
Hunter Whittington
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Left to Right: Robert Frary, President of Allyn Joyce and nominator of Hunter Whittington, Robert Shestack, Voluntary Benefits Association Chairman, Hunter Whittington, Divison 3 President of Benefit Technologies and Richard Peterson, Regional Sales Coordinator with Aflac.
The Voluntary Benefits Association (VBA), in conjunction with the Voluntary Benefits Magazine (VBM), recognize a select group of individuals each year whose achievements have enhanced and brought innovation to the voluntary benefits industry. Award recipients are dynamic individuals that have helped launch the industry forward in a positive direction. The Voluntary Benefits Leadership Award will be presented to these individuals as part of the VBA and VBM Annual Meeting held October 26-28th, 2011.
Voluntary Benefits Magazine | February | 2012
This award recognizes a leader in the Voluntary Benefits industry for providing an exemplary program or innovation consistent with the vision of the Voluntary Benefits Association’s goals; to advance Voluntary Benefits, initiate improvement and education by engaging plan members, and promote proven strategies. The award also honors an individual whose professional accomplishments embody such qualities that drives the voluntary benefits industry forward. Voluntary Benefits Magazine will be featuring our stellar leadership
awardees throughout the year to recognize their invaluable commitment to the industry. The Voluntary Benefits Leadership Award Ceremony took place on October 26, 2011 at the annual Employer Healthcare Congress and the Voluntary Benefits Conference. The ceremony was flowing with supporters there to honor the winners of this prestigious award. This month our featured 2011 Leadership Awards Recipient is Hunter Whittington, Division 3 President of Benefits Technologies. Hunter has been in the voluntary benefit and enrollment business since 1988, and has provided enrollment and communication solutions for employer groups ever since. He works exclusively through the Broker and Consultant channel and works with groups ranging in size from several hundred to many thousands. His cases are across the spectrum of industry ranging from manufacturing to public sector. In 2008 his firm was acquired by Benefits Technologies, and he was made a Divisional President for them. Benefits Technologies is a national enrollment firm with 14 offices across the country. They maintain a proprietary enrollment platform, two separate Call Centers, and offer services ranging from Dependent Eligibility Audits, Total Compensation and Benefit Statements, and wellness initiatives. All of their operations are funded solely through revenue derived from voluntary benefit sales. Last year they wrote approximately $45 million in voluntary benefit premium. Hunter resides in Boca Raton, FL with his wife of 23 years and their twin boys Voluntary Benefits Magazine recently had the opportunity to sit down with the industry forerunner to discuss his motivations, keys to success, and advice for up and coming industry professionals.
Voluntary Benefits Magazine: What is your take on the trends and advancements with Voluntary Benefits? What are your predictions for the future of the industry? Hunter Whittington: I feel that the voluntary industry is poised to have its greatest 5 years in the history of these
types of products. Between Healthcare Reform looming large and broker comp getting reduced on the core programs, everyone is looking for a secure revenue stream. Voluntary Benefits is the only sector of the benefits arena that is experiencing growth – double digit growth. Understanding and acceptance of these products from some in the broker community has been slow, but the corner has been turned and new opportunities are opening up to us all.
VBM: What continues to motivate and drive you in the industry? HW: This is an industry where we really get to see the value
of the benefits we sell. Unlike medical insurance, which does a good job of taking care of the doctors and hospitals, there is nothing better for an employee who is injured or sick than to receive a check from a policy that they purchased from us.
VBM: What have you learned to be keys to success in voluntary benefits and enrollment? HW: What are tools to become a leader in the industry?
The key to being successful in this business actually has little to do with the actual business of selling insurance. It seems that our industry has morphed from a pure delivery of insurance policies to a business that provides services to assist Human Resources that is funded through the sale of the voluntary products. For example, HR departments may not necessarily care about offering an accident plan or a critical illness policy to their employees, but they see great value in having us create a communication campaigns, benefit guides, total comp statements, native language benefit counselors, dependent eligibility audits, wellness initiatives, core enrollment software systems – all of which are paid for through the revenues from the voluntary programs.
VBM: What advice do you have for up and coming professionals in the market? HW: While I continue to hear about the great untapped
market out there, I haven’t really seen it. It seems that most everyone either has voluntary programs today or did have them at one time or another. The challenges that we face as an industry seem to center mostly around the backend - administration and servicing of the programs that were
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Voluntary Benefits
enrolled. The opportunities are huge to bring “the better mouse trap” to a client. Many employers are happy to offer these employee paid additions to a core benefit program – but only if it doesn’t create additional work for HR or the payroll department. In order to be successful in this marketplace, you need to navigate the landmines that others have set due to poor service and aggressive selling tactics. Get up and go to work.
“ Voluntary Benefits is the only sector of the benefits arena that is experiencing growth – double digitto being “The key growth.” successful in this
A very successful agent once said to me, “ our business is a part-time job, pick any twelve hours you want to work.” The future is brighter than ever for all of us. Employers know what we are selling today versus a decade ago, so the awareness is already there. You just have to make sure that your carrier partner is easy to do business with and knows how to service, service, service your block of business.
Juel Grange Associate Editor
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business actually has little to do with the actual business of selling insurance”
B.I.N.G.O
…and Safety
Is It’s
Name-O Pg 84
Viking Range Uses Care Management Technology to Save on Health Costs Pg 88
Comparing the Caring Pg 98
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Voluntary Self Funding Benefits
B.I.N.G.O ‌and Safety Is It’s Name-O By Brian J. Beck
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Written By
Brian J. Beck,
Director of Human Resources for Community Health Centers Of The Central Coast in California
How many of us in Corporate America have grown tired of workers compensation claims? How many of us grow weary of the reasons why people become injured? Here are a few I have worked through: Fell in a parking lot after slipping on an acorn, flea bite, a small pony bit the employee, fell while sitting at desk. These are aside from the regular conundrums of excuses and related injuries that are faced by human resource and workers compensation professionals each day. After the injuries are investigated and reported, the reserves for each case are then set. Experience modifiers are in effect, lost time claims occur and loss runs are reflected in a negative manner. Corporate costs rise. The people who manage these claims are questioned and highly encouraged to bring closure to the claims as soon as possible. Now, what if a simple game could change this entire world of workers compensation claims and the emotional draw it takes on those that manage it? Safety BINGO is played much like the regular game of Bingo is played. Instead of using the letters BINGO, the letters BSAFE are used. Over the last several years that I have invoked this game in organizations I have worked for, I have yet to see a single lost time injury occur after the game’s inception. Through this game, I was able to lower numbers of injuries, and types of injuries, all while creating an atmosphere of heightened employee morale and a better awareness of injury prevention.
How the game is played Once a vendor is identified to offer the game itself, the first step is to establish the rules. In my experience with this concept it’s been very simple. Every employee on the payroll has an opportunity to play. In the medical field, this includes full-time, part-time, and per-diem employees. Each employee receives a BSAFE card. Two bingo balls are rolled each day, Monday through Friday, including holidays. Each day’s numbers are loaded into an email, along with some kind of safety tip for the day, and emailed to all staff members. When a card is completely blacked out, that is all the numbers on the card have been marked, that person(s) is a winner. There can be multiple winners per game. It’s important to add that each person receives the jackpot; they don’t split the jackpot amount. For example, if the jackpot is $100.00 and there are three winners, each receives $100.00 and that amount is grossed up on their paychecks to offset the taxes. The only other way the game can stop is if there’s a lost time injury. In my experience, an organization with 300-500 employees will circulate through a game in 40-45 calendar days with one to three winners.
Marketing of the game is very important. Once the game is ready to begin, market it heavily throughout the organization. Easy messages can be relayed. The most popular I have seen is: “Stay safe and injury free to win big $$.” That kind of language will grab attention very quickly. The game seems to take on a life of its own. Employees will carry their bingo cards with them, attach them to the back of badges, and hang them on the wall so they can easily mark numbers off as they come. It’s simple, extremely engaging, fun, and suspenseful. The halls of organizations that bring on such a program will soon echo with proclamations such as “be careful, watch your step, you don’t want to stop Safety Bingo,” or other similar sayings of warning and awareness. Critics of this type of injury prevention program have said that an employee who gets injured on the job while the game is occurring may intentionally mask their injury so as not to be the person who stopped the game. After all, if several people are one number away from a monetary jackpot that has no limits, and someone falls and becomes a lost time injury, that injured employee may feel remorse or be blamed. Even worse, in the critic’s eye, this employee will mask the injury until it becomes such a problem that when it’s finally reported, the injury is substantially worse and will cost more in reserves to treat. Perhaps so, but having rolled out and engaged staff with this game for many years, I have yet to see such an incident occur. In addition, on average, I have seen a 60-75 percent drop in claims per year. Substantial savings in reserves have also come about because the types of injuries that are reported are not as traumatic and close faster on average. Corporate America is expensive to operate. Consistent cost measures are coming our way and in the field of Human Resources, we are expected to react daily. Our plates are often full and heavily engaged with consistent issues of various proportions across the company. However, one area that I have found that doesn’t require as much hands on is injury prevention. This isn’t to say that other things such as accident investigations, good workers compensation management of claims and more aren’t equally important. Hanging safety posters can be effective, proper lifting techniques are effective, and ergonomic studies of workstations are effective. Safety Bingo will drive some fun and excitement into the safety and injury prevention realm. BSAFE—it’s a new corporate acronym that in the long run, can pay big dividends.
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Voluntary Self Funding Benefits
“ Through this game, I was able to lower numbers of injuries, and types of injuries, all while creating an atmosphere of heightened employee morale and a better awareness of injury prevention. ”
About the Author Brian J. Beck, PHR, M.H.R.O.D., has worked in the human resources field for nearly 20 years, focusing on HR strategic planning, retention strategies, and organizational and leadership development. He is currently the Director of Human Resources for Community Health Centers Of The Central Coast in California. Mr. Beck has served in human resource senior leadership roles in the health care and staffing industry sectors. He has been PHR certified since 1995 through the Certification Institute of the Society for Human Resource Management. Mr. Beck holds a Masters Degree in Human Resources and Organization Development from the University of San Francisco. He was also an adjunct faculty member for three years at the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses in management and HR theory, was an instructor in the PHR/SPHR learning development program through UNM, and has published several articles related to human resource strategy, management, and theory.
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Voluntary Self Funding Benefits
Viking Range Uses Care Management Technology to Save on Health Costs
By George Pantos
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In November 2011, an employee at Greenwood, Mississippi-based kitchen appliance and cabinetry manufacturer Viking Range Corporation, who suffered from type-2 diabetes, began seeing disruptive fluctuations in her blood sugars, with readings often exceeding 300 milligrams per deciliter.
Written By
George Pantos Executive Director of the Healthcare Performance Management Institute
But thanks to Viking Range’s employee wellness program, the employee was able to speak with a Registered Nurse Care Manager to gain more information about blood sugar regulations and healthy lifestyle tips that could be implemented in order to help achieve better controlled readings. Looking at the employee’s diet, the Care Manager was able to recommend changes to her everyday life that. In conjunction with doctor-prescribed medication, this would help her gain a better understanding of— and more control over—her diabetes and blood sugars. The estimated cost of a hospitalization related to uncontrolled blood sugars is $8,702—an ominous figure that Viking Range could have eventually seen in the final tally of its annual health plan costs, which seemed to increase ceaselessly. Like most companies that provide health benefits to their employees, Viking Range wanted to find a way to stem the rise of its health plan costs. But unlike most companies, the firm was able to do so— achieving millions of dollars of savings in annual medical and pharmaceutical claims from 2009 to 2010. With the implementation of a plan-governing strategy known as Healthcare Performance Management (HPM), Viking Range utilized predictive modeling to target and engage high-risk employees within its plan, and help them take preventative health measures through high-touch care management. The HPM discipline— similar in principle to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM)—enables healthcare stakeholders to proactively manage their health plan spending, improve healthcare return on investment and empower employees to make more cost-effective healthcare decisions to achieve healthier lives. From 2009 to 2010, the company reported that it saved $1.16 million on annual medical and pharmaceutical claims. Viking was able to substantially reduce its annual medical and pharmaceutical costs per employee and saw a 13 percent drop in the probability of high-cost medical and pharmaceutical claims and a 9 percent decline in hospital admissions.
Self-insured Viking Range, which has been named by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of the “Best Places to Work in Mississippi” every year since 2006, provides healthcare coverage— including medical, dental, vision and pharmaceutical benefits to approximately 800 employees and dependents. That translates to over 1,400 covered members. Until recently, Viking, which in addition to manufacturing high-end kitchen appliances also includes operations in hospitality such as cooking schools, restaurants and a spa, covered all health premiums. That resulted in low deductibles and copays for employees, many of whom have been with the company for over nine years. “It is such a differentiator to employees when a company has a rich benefits program, including its healthcare coverage. We’ve really taken pride in being able to offer that to our employees,” says Beth Tackett, Director of Human Resources for Viking Range. “On the other hand, you can definitely see how that could be a drain on profitability.” Indeed, with year-after-year increases in healthcare costs, the company found it was unable to provide the same benefit coverage. To combat rising health plan costs, Viking modified its benefit coverage and shifted some of the premium cost to employees. But this did little to impact costs and became an additional financial burden to employees. “The adjustments we were making -- such as increasing deductibles by $100 -- had a minimal impact on offsetting costs . . . but they were having a huge impact on many employees,” Tackett says. Viking saw that the cost shift was only a short-term fix, which didn’t address the root of the issue or improve health plan performance. Viking searched for an alternative solution. In January 2010, Viking turned to WellNet Healthcare Group, a Bethesda, Maryland-based healthcare management company that specializes in managing health risk and increasing company operational effectiveness through increased productivity and lower healthcare costs. WellNet analyzed Viking’s historical claims data and placed its employees into varying “risk buckets” through unique predictive modeling that reported statistics on Viking Range’s population. The analytic software compared Viking’s plan data in real time against national risk statistics collected in the Johns
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Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Adjusted Clinical Groups database. The reporting process found that there were 35 highrisk members and 292 medium-risk members within Viking Range’s covered population. These two groups accounted for $1.6 million and $1.7 million in claims costs, respectively. At-risk plan members were determined to be high-, medium- or low-risk based on the number of cumulative health conditions they had. The more conditions an employee had, the higher the risk of a catastrophic claim within the health plan. The predictive modeler utilized 60 different areas of health to determine risk level, including conditions in cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, malignancy, respiratory, skin or eye, hematologic, psychological, and neurologic areas. Predictive modeling tactics helped move the health plan from condition-screening to action on an employee-specific level. In response to the findings, WellNet, Viking Range, and third party administrator Mutual Assurance Administrators, developed a wellness program based on the principles of Healthcare Performance Management that centered on the areas of risk identified in the modeler. The designed wellness program would target at-risk plan members based on what conditions were driving their elevated risk statuses and then take steps to address and improve those conditions via lifestyle changes, newly suggested questions to ask their doctors, or simple alterations in diet and exercise. In addition to providing Viking’s administrators with the software necessary to aggregate real-time claims data, WellNet helped the company understand the factors that were driving their health plan costs, including employee lifestyle decisions. “WellNet delivered in-depth analysis of our healthcare plan without compromising our member’s privacy. This allowed us to take actions, which were far more cost-effective than the conventional approaches. Care Managers began to engage with each of our high-risk members to monitor progress and ensure that our members were being complaint with their medications,” Tackett explains. Viking’s wellness program includes employee access to a patient-centric health improvement portal where they can “chat” with a Registered Nurse Care Manager and see all of their health insurance information in one secure, HIPAA-compliant application. Included in the portal are applications where members can take health risk assessments (HRAs), review their prescriptions, view the status of their current claims, and keep track of plan-specific benefits and programs.
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Dedicated Care Managers reach out to high- and medium-risk plan members, identified by the predictive modeler. Dedicated Care Managers are also engaging plan members in an active dialogue to discuss issues they may have or advise them on ways to better achieve their health goals: perhaps to lose weight, stop smoking, or find ways to adhere to doctors’ orders. One Viking Range employee identified as at-risk by the predictive modeler worked with a Care Manager to take better control of her high blood pressure (BP), which usually hovered around 130/80. In conjunction with the employee’s doctor-prescribed medication, she worked with a Care Manager to outline dietary changes that would aid in lowering BP levels, such as cutting back on fried, processed, and high-sodium foods to limit sodium intake to 1500 milligrams per day. She was encouraged to eat more fruits and vegetables and increase water intake in place of soda. Uncontrolled blood pressure can pose upwards of $5,051 per member in potential costs. By working with the employee, Viking avoided those potential costs. While Viking was initially concerned with employee acceptance of the care management program, most employees appreciated receiving personal assistance with their health issues. “We were concerned that employees might feel uncomfortable discussing sensitive issues because most people don’t even have the opportunity to discuss their medical condition at length with their own doctor,” Tackett says. “Typically, they’re accustomed to seeing a doctor for a very brief time, getting a prescription, and then going straight to the pharmacy. It was heartening to get positive feedback from employees on their experiences with their Care Manager.” In an effort to reach more employees, Viking Range holds a health fair every year where Care Managers are available to answer any member questions regarding the wellness program, prescriptions, returned lab work, or any other health concerns. The fairs, which have been extremely well received by Viking’s employees, offer plan members a chance to complete onsite biometric screenings, such as blood checks, weigh-ins and blood pressure readings, and then immediately sit down with a Care Manager to ask any questions and discuss the results. Information on the cost-saving advantages of switching from brandname to generic prescriptions, among other strategies, is also shared with employees. “We have created a workplace that has a wellness mindset,” Tackett says.
Since the wellness program’s implementation, Care Managers have actively engaged 54 percent of Viking’s high- and medium-risk employees. This above-industry average success stems from the use of highly-targeted campaigns with informative mailings and Care Manager outreach, on-going communication with employees, and incentives to encourage participation. “We have the good fortune of being able to offer employee gift cards for use with our hospitality group. We have a fine dining restaurant, a spa, a cooking school as well as our Viking retail store. Employees who participate with their Care Manager receive a $75 gift card upon completion of their initial 90-day program,” says Tackett. Even after receiving their gift cards, most employees continue to stay engaged with their Care Manager. In addition to incentives, the program is greatly supported by Viking’s senior executive leadership. “Our founder and CEO, Fred Carl, Jr., is a real champion for us. He truly understands the value of the employees and what their contributions do for this company,” says Tackett. As a result of embracing an HPM strategy and wellness program, Viking Range is able to offer employees a more
comprehensive range of health services at an affordable cost. The enhanced total benefit offering allows the firm to stay competitive with other manufacturing employers when it comes to attracting employees. “It is a very good recruiting opportunity for us,” Tackett says. The HPM strategy has also had a positive effect on employee productivity. “There’s no doubt that the employees who have participated in the process are more productive,” says Tackett. With the company’s reported average attendance rate at 99 percent, that additional productivity translates into significantly higher output. Viking’s pharmaceutical costs have increased due to increased adherence by employees to their prescriptions during the first year of implementation. But these costs have been more than counter-balanced by lower medical claims costs and a reduction in hospitalizations. “We’ve now been able to see a dramatic difference in our ability to understand the factors that are driving our health plan costs,” Tackett says. Costs stabilized and eventually fell during the second year. “We’re now seeing medical costs on a per member
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per month basis being reduced,” says Tackett. “As we remain engaged and active with this approach, we expect healthcare costs to continue to decrease.” Viking has been pleased with the program’s success over the past two years, but realizes that it is still in the early stages of being able to reap the long-term benefits associated with years of regular employee engagement. Continual and early evaluation of at-risk members will help to keep Viking Range abreast of possible future plan risks that can be addressed early on to keep plan costs lower than they’ve been in previous years. “We want to be able to work with employees even more strategically. We intend to offer more education to them and really engage them,” Tackett says. “It is great that we have a 54 percent participation rate, but we certainly would love to have 100 percent participation in the future.” “There are always going to be people each year who show up in those highand medium-risk categories. If we don’t work together to manage their wellness appropriately, then nobody wins,” she concluded.
About the Author George Pantos is the Executive Director of the Healthcare Performance Management Institute (www.hpminstitute. org), a research and education organization dedicated to promoting the use of business technology and management principles that deliver better and more cost-effective healthcare benefits for employers who cover their employees.
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“ With the
implementation of a plan-governing strategy known as Healthcare Performance Management (HPM), Viking Range utilized predictive modeling to target and engage high-risk employees within its plan, and help them take preventative health measures through high-touch care management.”
Point Your Recoveries in the Right Direction
Rawlings Group The
www.rawlingsgroup.com | 877.426.4174
Self Funding
Tennessee Overhauls Captive Insurance Law To Become National Leader By Kevin Doherty
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Written By
Kevin Doherty
Attorney and Partner at Burr & Forman LLP
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed a comprehensive overhaul of Tennessee’s captive insurance law in June. It put Tennessee at the forefront of captive insurance domiciles and permits cutting-edge captive formations. Tennessee had been one of the first domestic captive insurance domiciles when it first enacted its captive insurance law back in 1978. But the law had not been changed prior to June and had not kept up with industry changes. Interestingly, prior to being signed by Governor Haslam, the law received unanimous approval in both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly, indicating Tennessee’s renewed commitment on a bipartisan basis to captive insurance. Much has changed in the captive insurance industry in the last 30 years, although the fundamentals remain the same. Accordingly, in addition to traditional single-owner captives, group captives, industrial insured captives, and risk retention groups that have been permitted in Tennessee for years, the law now permits the formation of protected cell captives. This includes incorporated cells, branch captives, and special purpose financial captives (SPFC’s). The updated law also now authorizes employee benefits risk and worker’s compensation (for companies who otherwise qualify as selfinsureds) to supplement the standard property and casualty insurance coverages offered by captives (including professional liability, general liability,
errors and omissions, director’s and officer’s, and commercial property coverages). It also allows captives broad reinsurance and excess insurance authority. Unlike other leading domiciles, the new law also permits branch captives for risks other than employee benefits.
Background Captives
and Advantages
of
Simply put, a captive is an insurance company formed by a business or a group of businesses to insure its (or their) own risks (hence, the term “captive”). In other words, the owners of a captive are also the policyholders. The captive insurance concept has been around since at least the 1960s or the 1970s, but growth in this industry has accelerated dramatically since the late 1980s. Currently, it is estimated that as much as 50 percent of the business insurance marketplace risk is underwritten by captive insurance companies or other alternative risk transfer vehicles in some form. In addition to offshore captive domiciles such as Bermuda, Cayman, British Virgin Islands and Barbados, the leading U.S. domiciles include Vermont, Hawaii, South Carolina, Kentucky, Montana, Utah and Arizona. The primary benefit that captives offer is to help companies gain control of their insurance destiny. Captives also can provide significant federal tax
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advantages depending on the structure utilized. Generally, in order to qualify as an insurance company for federal tax purposes, a captive either must have sufficient risk transfer and distribution or insure enough unrelated risk. For a single owner or pure captive, risk distribution can be accomplished pursuant to a “brother-sister” arrangement whereby the subsidiary captive provides insurance to its brother and sister corporations. The IRS safe harbor for this arrangement requires at least 12 separate subsidiary corporations, with each one having no less than 5 percent nor more than 15 percent of the premium or risk. Depending on the structure and the specific facts of a given scenario, it may also be possible to achieve insurance tax status outside of these safe harbor parameters. In order to qualify for federal insurance tax treatment on the basis of insuring unrelated risk, the IRS safe harbor requires that the captive provide at least 50 percent of its insurance to unrelated parties—referring to companies who are not affiliated with or under the same control as the owners of the captive. Case law also has permitted federal tax treatment as an insurance company with unrelated business percentages as low at 29 percent. Thus, the industry for years has used the 30 percent threshold as a rule of thumb for potential favorable tax treatment, with the IRS standard of 50 percent as the definitive safe harbor. In addition, there are also potential state tax advantages to captives, who pay significantly less premium than self-
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insured entities or traditional insurer alternatives. The annual premium tax rates under the new Tennessee law are consistent with those of the other leading captive domiciles and range between 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent for direct written premiums, and 0.225 percent and 0.150 percent for reinsurance. The minimum annual premium tax for any captive is $5,000, and the maximum is $100,000. Generally captives may only underwrite direct risk in their state of domicile. Any other risk reinsured by a captive must be “fronted” or insured first by a fully admitted carrier, resulting in the payment of state premium tax at the regular rate. Overall, single-owner or pure captives tend to be used by larger companies and can be a very effective risk management tool for Fortune 500 and other large corporations (generally those with at least $1 million in applicable premiums). However, captives are potentially a viable option for smaller companies as well. Group captives and risk retention groups can be very effective for any companies that may belong to trade associations or otherwise have similar or related risks.
Procedure for Obtaining Licensure of a Captive The new law has permitted applications to be submitted since July 1, 2011, and captives to be licensed since Sept. 1, 2011. The first captive licensed under the new law is a
subsidiary of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) that was licensed on Sept. 1, 2011. Ultimate authority for licensing captives is vested in the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Julie McPeak. For information on application forms and how to apply for licensure as a captive in Tennessee, contact Assistant Commissioner for Insurance Larry Knight at the Department. It is recommended that all applicants have a detailed business plan and that they meet first with officials at the Department before filing an application. The Department is also in the process of establishing a new captives section or division and hiring a new senior director of captives, who likely will be in place by the time this article is published.
About the Author Kevin M. Doherty is a partner at the law firm of Burr & Forman in Nashville, Tenn., where he serves as head of the firm’s Insurance Group. Doherty’s experience concentrates on insurance regulatory law, with particular emphasis on captives, risk retention groups, self-insurance funds, and other alternative insurance vehicles. He is the founder and current President of the Georgia Captive Insurance Association, Inc., as well as Chairman of the Board and President of the Tennessee Captive Insurance Association, Inc. Kevin is admitted to practice in Tennessee, Georgia and New York.
Passage of the Bill Commissioner McPeak, who was previously my colleague at Burr & Forman LLP and was appointed by Governor Haslam in January to serve as Commissioner of the Department, played the pivotal leading role in preparing the legislation and advocating for passage of the bill. The new law utilizes portions of similar laws from many of the leading captive domicile states, including Vermont, South Carolina, Kentucky, Montana, District of Columbia, and Hawaii.
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Comparing the Caring By R. Scott Boots
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Written By
R. Scott Boots Founder of the Health Cares Exchange Initiative, Inc.
I sat next to David’s bed in the AIDS hospice the last week of his life and told him that he was a beautiful man. “Thank you,” he said, and I closed the door and softly sang hymns he had in the choir. “Take from our lives the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace” I sang. The next day David died, and I began experiencing symptoms of burnout first-hand. Twenty years ago in Boston I volunteered for a variety of community based organizations and at one point was the chair or co-chair of three committees simultaneously at the city’s largest Episcopal church. But the demands of meeting the needs of so many others began to take its toll and I stopped volunteering while experiencing great emotional exhaustion. A lack of any feeling of personal accomplishment surfaced. In response to my experiences, and a concept which came to me while meditating, in 1992 I began an educational public charity designed to support and educate care providers. The Health Cares Exchange Initiative, Inc (HCEI) creates supportive networks of caregivers in diverse geographic areas and then educates them about the best ways to provide care for others and, not least important, for themselves. HCEI created its own moderator’s guide and hosted the first-ever nationwide focus groups with both paid and nonpaid care providers. We use a broad based definition of care provider so it could be a paid or unpaid person – anybody who cares for and about others and gives of their resources and selves. Focus groups held from Kansas to Boston revealed, not surprisingly, that most care providers do not feel supported or celebrated. As a result of these focus groups, we developed a dynamic stress management skills building seminar which has been given for thousands of caring persons in the US and UK. The session, which usually lasts 6090 minutes, encourages participants about ways to identify stressors in their lives and then respond in healthy ways. Audiences have included teachers, clergy, nurses, EMTs, research administrators, advocates, family members, and persons living with chronic conditions. Our first paid seminar was presented to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in 1998 using a flip chart, magic markers and boom box. I have since spoken at a large number of conferences and I recall many successes and some challenges. Some included: the conference where I looked out and saw an audience member inhaling a helium balloon; the conference where, during a quiet meditation exercise, a marching band began to play in the next room; the conference of
funeral planners where I could look out beyond my audience into the exhibit hall to see rows of caskets and glass necklaces with the ashes of your cat (or spouse) inside. Although the majority of people I come into contact with have giving and gentle hearts, some are very wounded or angry. Some people I have invited to network on the Linkedin Internet networking site have “blocked” me from any future contact (am I trying to sell used vacuums?) At one exhibit hall highlighting senior services, I walked from booth to booth introducing myself and collecting business cards. The woman who had coordinated the event called security and asked them to throw me out because I was trying to market my services and had not paid to rent a booth. Several people, listed as designated contacts on the website of their organization, respond to emails from me asking me to take them off my spam list and never contact them again. For a small but unmistakable group of people, something about providing support for caring people can really piss people off. I believe the issue sometimes stirs up deep needs, fears and resentments. And yet should I be surprised at a general lack of support and enthusiasm? A few years ago when I began writing a book version of my workshop, I realized oh my, I have chosen to advocate for a group of people whom (in general) nobody cares for. Perhaps I should be doing stress management for professional athletes or contestants on televised talent shows? Certainly there is great interest and support for those people. And so, in the United States, which espouses individualism rather than collective thought, home to the highest rate of infant mortality for an industrialized nation, and which quite intentionally has no national health plan for its citizens, what sort of support can I reasonably expect? Perhaps in the United Kingdom, where the nation cares for all residents, there would be interest and support in my efforts? Because HCEI is a volunteer-based effort, I work at jobs for income and benefits and do this work evenings and weekends. In September 2011, I took a two week vacation and traveled to England and Scotland to visit relatives and see palaces. Using email several months prior to my visit, I contacted dozens of centers for carers in a variety of cities and towns in the UK. I introduced myself and HCEI, and asked them if I could present my seminar when I visited. Four organizations were innovative enough (and brave enough) to build communications and invite me to present.
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These pioneering groups included Northumbria University, Orkney Carers Center, Derbyshire County Council, and Lancashire County Council. The first seminar was held for a group of family carers at the public library in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. I knew my seminar was “universal” when I saw heads begin to nod in understanding. The day before I had walked the Ring of Brodgar, a 5,000 year-old Neolithic stone circle, and realized this is a culture that over thousands of years has come to understand how to care about each other. Although seminar participants in the UK were involved with supportive networks for carers, many had never been to a session about compassion fatigue or burnout prevention. I joked that I was becoming their “airplane friend” because for 90 minutes we connected over issues, which were very personal and challenging, and then the next week I would be safely 4,000 miles away! I recall the woman whose parents had died, both unexpectedly, six weeks apart earlier that year, and kept mementos from both on the dashboard of her car. I felt admiration and also concern for the young man who moved into the house with his mother eight years ago after she had a stroke. Surveys given to participants before and after the UK seminars indicated respondent gains of at least 20 percent (at least one point on a scale of 0-5) on three out of four question items. For the question “How well do you identify stress?” the pre-presentation mean was 3.2 and the post-presentation mean was 4.9, a difference of 1.7. When asked “How well do you understand options for responding to stress?” the prepresentation mean was 2.8 and the post-presentation mean was 4.2, a difference of 1.4. Similar to the hospice movement and national healthcare, the UK appears better coordinated, and willing, to invest resources to care for family carers and others than the US. Seminar participants were extremely involved and appreciative, and appeared to be somewhat more self-sacrificing than those in the US. During one exercise where I asked participants to think of the three people they cared for most, NONE of the UK participants were cheeky enough to list themselves. And in both our Anglo cultures, we all smile through our anger
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and our disappointments, while our leading cause of death for men and women is cardiovascular related. One thing we have in common, in general, is that we all smile and say no I’m fine, I’m not mad, I don’t need anything, thanks. And then our hearts break. Following my trip I began to research the NHS, a daunting task as there is no national health policy in the US for me to compare to. So many changes in structure, authority and leadership, plus I read the electronic Guardian’s coverage on social and healthcare. I intend to continue to network and build collaboration in places where care is seen as an important necessity for all. I will continue to give my skills building sessions to groups of paid health and social care providers, administrators and family carers in the UK and beyond. In doing so, the goal is to reduce staff turnover, medical errors and reduce hypertension in most participants. And I have so much to learn! But now I know what mushy peas are. Now I know if I accidentally spill food on my trousers never complain that I’ve just soiled my pants. My great great grandparents left Durham County, England in 1882 in search of something more. The world and opportunities they were given were not adequate. They did not want to “settle” with the status quo and go without. They had the restlessness and courage to look beyond what they knew and look across oceans for meaning and new life and new hope. Ironically, I am looking east at their land, eager to spend more time, eager to be part of the systems already there, eager to tell nurses and administrators and family carers “well done.”
About the Author R. Scott Boots, MPA is a graduate of Interlochen Center for the Arts and holds degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the founder of the Health Cares Exchange Initiative, Inc. and has presented staff retention and wellness seminars internationally.
“The Health Cares Exchange Initiative, Inc (HCEI) creates supportive networks of caregivers in diverse geographic areas and then educates them about the best ways to provide care for others and, not least important, for themselves.�
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How Defined Contribution Health Benefits Help Employers Recruit and Retain Employees By Rick Lindquist
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It costs a typical employer the equivalent of 6-9 months in salary each time they have to replace a salaried employee—that’s $20,000 to $30,000 for a $40,000 manager in recruiting and training expenses, along with the potential lost revenue from customers.
Written By
Rick Lindquist President of Zane Benefits
Employers can save approximately half of these expenses, $10,000 or more per replaced employee, with a health benefits plan that helps them recruit new employees and retain existing employees. Defined contribution health benefits provide many advantages over traditional employer-sponsored benefits. Rather than paying the costs to provide a specific group health plan (a “defined benefit”), employers can fix their costs on a monthly basis by establishing a defined contribution health plan that gives employers and employees full control over healthcare costs. The employer’s costs are predictable and controllable, while employees are given full control over their healthcare dollars and choose a portable plan that meets their exact personal needs. How do defined contribution health benefits work? An employer gives each employee a fixed dollar amount (a “defined contribution”) that the employee chooses how to spend. Typically, employees are allowed to use the defined contribution to reimburse themselves for personal health insurance costs or other medical expenses such as doctor visits and prescription drugs. Under the traditional approach to health benefits, the company selects and funds the same insurance plan for all employees in a one-size-fitsall approach. Alternatively, in a defined contribution approach, the employer designates a fixed amount of money, the “defined contribution”, and employees purchase personal health insurance directly from any insurance company they choose, selecting products that specifically meet their family’s needs and budget.
What is a personal health policy? A personal health policy, sometimes called an “individual” or “family” health insurance policy, covers you and your designated family members. You purchase a personal health policy through a licensed health insurance agent who is appointed to represent the insurance companies in your state. Personal health policies now cost one-third to a half of the price of similar-benefit employer-sponsored coverage in 45 states. This is primarily because insurance carriers in 45 states are allowed to: (1)
price based on age bands and (2) reject or charge more to applicants for personal policies with preexisting conditions. If you or a member of your family are rejected or charged more for a personal health policy because of a pre-existing medical condition, you typically become eligible for state-guaranteed (“HIPAAguaranteed”) or federally-guaranteed (“PCIP”) personal health insurance.
How do businesses determine the amount of money allocated to employees? Providing different levels of benefits to classes of employees is at the core of benefits compensation and is routinely done by major corporations. With salary and other types of compensation, employers routinely compensate groups of employees differently. Field sales people are compensated differently than sales managers. Some employees get company cars, while others earn quarterly bonuses. Because health benefits are such an important part of compensation, why not provide benefits that vary by class of employee? With defined contribution health benefits, businesses can create employee classes that offer benefits tailored to the company’s objectives, transforming a health benefit plan into a tool to find and keep great people. For example, consider an electrical contracting company who struggled to hire and keep journeymen electricians in a very tight labor market. Instead of offering the same health plan to all employees, the company created separate classes for apprentices and journeymen and gave journeyman $350 more per month in their HRA. This large increase helps the company reduce attrition among journeyman. Plus, it creates a visible incentive for apprentices to complete the education required to become journeymen. As there are no minimum or maximum contribution requirements, a business can design their defined contribution health plan to fulfill its exact recruiting and retention needs.
What types of healthcare expenses are eligible for defined contribution? A defined contribution health benefits plan can cover any expense considered to be a qualified medical expense by the IRS, including premiums for health insurance policies. Note that employers may restrict the list of reimbursable expenses in any way they choose. Some common categories
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of reimbursable items include health insurance premiums, doctor visits, dental, vision, pharmacy and hospital expenses.
Defined contribution health benefits directly address each of these issues. With a defined contribution health plan, there are:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of defined contribution?
• No Employer Contribution Requirement – The company sets a fixed dollar amount that it wishes to contribute to each class of employee.
For employers, the primary advantages of defined contribution health benefits include fixed costs, flexible plan design, and reduced cost and administration responsibilities. Additionally, there are no minimum participation requirements for defined contribution health benefits. For employees, the primary advantages include more choice, portability, and in most states, reduced healthcare costs. The primary disadvantage of defined contribution health benefits is that some individuals/families (typically 1020 percent of the workforce) with pre-existing medical conditions may have to pay more for health insurance than they would with traditional employer-sponsored coverage. However, in 2014, this disadvantage will be eliminated when individual policies become guaranteed issue. As such, businesses with unhealthy workforces may find a traditional approach more suitable until 2014 if a group health insurance plan is affordable.
What is the market for defined contribution health benefits? Approximately 50 percent of U.S. small businesses with less than 50 employees do not offer traditional employersponsored health insurance to their employees. This figure is expected to greatly increase in 2012 due to: • Employer Contribution Requirements – Insurance companies require a minimum percentage of the premium for each employee that must be paid by the employer, or the entire plan is cancelled. • Employee Participation Requirements – Insurance companies require a minimum percentage of employees join the group plan, or the entire plan is cancelled. • Cost per Participant – Group health plans for 2012 are potentially facing the greatest rate increases in the history of U.S. health benefits, due to increasing health care costs and new coverage requirements imposed by ACA (2010 Health Care Reform).
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• No Employee Participation Requirement – The company sets its own eligibility and participation requirements. The plan can be active even if only 1 employee participates. • Lower Cost Per Participant – Individual health policies typically cost less than half the cost of equivalent group coverage for healthy employees, and new options, such as PCIP, are now available for employees who don’t qualify due to pre-existing medical conditions. Recruiting and retaining key employees is essential to every business, and a company’s health benefit program is a key part of the compensation they offer to their employees. Due to the rising costs of traditional employersponsored health insurance, defined contribution health benefits are gaining popularity in the U.S. Rather than paying the costs to provide a specific group health plan (a “defined benefit”), employers might want to consider fixing their costs on a monthly basis by establishing a defined contribution health plan.
About the Author Rick Lindquist is President of Zane Benefits (www.zanebenefits.com), the leader in defined contribution health benefits. Zane works with brokers, agents and CPAs to transition clients to defined contribution solutions. Rick received his B.S. in Economics and B.A. in Computer Science from Duke University. Follow Zane at www. zanebenefits.com/blog. Reach Rick at 435-200-6717/ rick.lindquist@zanebenefits.com.
“Defined contribution health benefits provide many advantages over traditional employer-sponsored benefits.�
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Healthcare Reform
The Inspired Workplace By LeAura Alderson
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It starts at the top. In the Conference Room the large table is flanked with stability ball chairs and a large water-cooler for the company issued personalized refillable water bottles frequently seen everywhere. In the center of the table is a piece of art—a glass cube with many dimensions and colors that reflect and change with the movement of a light somewhere underneath. It resembles a kind of shifting 3-D kaleidoscope.
Written By
LeAura Alderson
CEO of My Trainer Fitness
Meetings here are brief and concise, following a pre-planned outline. They begin with three minutes of visionary slides with accompanying music. You know the kind: like one of those awe-invoking email forwards that you took the time to watch instead of deleting. They’re the kind that remind us of the magnificence of nature and indomitable human spirit. These synchronize brain waves, settle the energies and set the stage for inspired thinking. They also strangely dissipate insignificant issues that have a way of monopolizing time without really accomplishing anything. Invariably, people leave these meetings more energized than before they started and appreciate just how much was accomplished in such a short time. Floor after floor of desks are paired with balance ball chairs. Occasionally, a head pops up and down over the cubicle walls as some energized office worker enjoys the vertical mobility afforded with this movement-inducing chair. Along one long wall is a series of standing desks, where many are performing their tasks while standing, or using the optional barheight stool for when their feet need a rest. In a corner of each floor is a pyramid-shaped glob of metal that turns out to be a stand for dumbbells. Some are missing, only to be seen above the head of one worker and at the ankles of another. The fresh scent of citrus permeates the atmosphere, wafting from the break room stocked with fresh lemon and lime wedges next to the water cooler and bowls of fresh fruits, raw nuts and nut mix lay invitingly in baskets. Alongside this is the coffee station that also offers a plethora of herbal and green teas, organic coffee, and stevia—honey or maple crystals as the only visible sweeteners. There’s also a cooler nearby with organic 2 percent milk, containers of fat-free Greek yogurts, and individual raw vegetable trays with hummus displayed invitingly behind the refrigerated glass door. Three employees are huddled discussing their project while peeling tangerines, sketching venn diagrams and mind-maps on pads, and speaking in quietly animated tones. Fridays are not exactly dress-down day, but rather “Fitness Fridays.” People are dressed in sharp fitness attire that can almost pass for suits, except much more comfortable. Midday Friday, people are streaming from
the building for a brisk half hour companywide power walk, with the only rules being to walk fast and talk with someone you don’t usually work. They return to engage in individual or group brainstorming sessions on things to improve upon, followed by time dedicated to cleaning up the week’s work, organizing for the following week’s new and creative endeavors. Then there’s the Power-Up room. This is where all levels of management schedule time for monthly creative think-tank sessions. The room is almost chilly when you first walk in and there are no tables or chairs. Instead, there are 12 large machines arranged in a circle: six treadmills interspersed with six stationary bikes all facing each other. Most strategy sessions of all kinds are held here. Like a Sound Of Music moment, just entering this room is energizing. Hop on the treadmill with your peers, or peddle on the stationary bike, elevate the circulatory system and watch the dynamic brainstorming that pours out from minds energized. Oxygenated blood-flow circulates and creativity is stimulated as ideas flow freely. Everyone looks forward to these inspiring sessions where the best brand ideas precipitate from the sweaty brows and elevated heart rates of all attendees. All leave more energized and positively proactive, charged up and ready for implementation. So many corporations and HR departments struggle to figure out how to motivate a devitalized workforce. How to invest in programs that will finally be utilized for the best ROI and health results possible proves challenging. Trying to get people to change is a difficult task because motivation can’t be forced or induced. It must be ignited from the inside out and caught from the spores of corporate culture. It has to enter the bloodstream of the corporation. What in your company culture is designed to facilitate, encourage and stimulate a fit corporate culture? Executives and management should model what they are motivating employees to do. It starts at the top of each department and division. That’s the only way to truly imbue health and fitness into a corporate culture or a family. We’ve all heard of the phenomenon of the Google Plex and corporate environment. Do we resist and perhaps even sort of resent the ideas from this new kid on the block? Kodak resisted change and today, sadly, the legacy of “the Kodak moment” is dead. Don’t be a Kodak. Be a Google. Be the best reinvention of yourself and your company that you can be because innovation and change are the cornerstones of stability in today’s world. So where is this utopian corporation? Is it your company or just in my head? If it’s you, can I come and
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visit and write an article for the next issue on the leaps and strides you are making to help inspire us all?
About the Author LeAura Alderson is CEO of My Trainer Fitness, publisher of do-it-yourself workouts to-go, which are accessible anywhere fitness for corporate benefits, incentives, and premiums. For orders and motivational presentations, contact: LeAura@MyTrainerFitness. com – www.MyTrainerFitness.com
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Take Control of Your Health™ Employers Helping Employees Make Good on New Year’s Resolutions By Maureen Young
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Written By
Maureen Young Consumer Education Advocate for ANY LAB TEST NOW®
How did the practice of making New Year’s Resolutions start? It seems to have begun in pre-Christian times with moral changes such as being good to others. January is named after the Roman God, Janus, who has two faces— one that looked to the past and one that looked to the future. January 1st then, seems the perfect time to look at our past behavior and decide what needs changing. In modern times, the focus for New Year’s resolutions has shifted to improving our health, appearance or both. The shift usually occurs by stopping bad habits and replacing them with good ones. With medical costs increasing steadily and the incidence of obesity continuing to climb, it makes sense for people to want to make improvements to avoid these health problems. Even if your goal is solely fitting into your skinny jeans, better health is usually a happy byproduct. Since so many employees are trying to juggle work with family and social obligations, squeezing in habit changing behavior can be a challenge. Studies have shown that 40-45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions each year. Adherence to resolutions drops from 75 percent after the first week to 64 percent after one month. Although at least 20-25 percent of those people will not make it past the first week, a surprising 40-46 percent will still be working at it 6 months later. Among the top resolutions are to exercise more (or to start), to lose weight, quit smoking, and to spend more time with family and friends and to enjoy life more. Although the resolutions dealing with health are more challenging than the others, research shows that people who specifically make resolutions are 10 times more likely to reach their goals than those who don’t explicitly make resolutions. (http://proactivechange. com/resolutions/statistics.htm) Americans spend increasingly more time at the office than in the past. This puts businesses on the frontline for helping their employees to take control of their health. Not only does a health-conscious approach toward employees foster retention and much needed access to wellness information and services, but it also provides cost savings to a corporation’s bottom line. According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 75 percent of healthcare costs are for diseases that are preventable. Organizations that implement a Health and Wellness program for their employees see a reduction in absenteeism and an overall reduction in healthcare costs in the long term. Effective programs include initial health assessments to identify high-risk individuals in conjunction with incentives and access to information on healthy
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lifestyle options. Large improvements in absenteeism are the single most critical positive impact from these programs. It will take time for the return on investment in healthcare costs to show up. Initial costs for healthcare will go up with the investment in the planning and establishment of a Health and Wellness program. Additionally, the initial health assessments will discover new health issues and subsequent treatment or procedures for employees. Ultimately, the costs invested will be worth it. The typical cost for a surgical procedure can run to $15,000, while the average cost of acute disease can be as much as $45,000 per incident.
Assessing What Type of Program is Right for Your Organization The CDC provides abundant information about Workplace Health Promotion such as making a business case and key questions to ask before embarking on a corporate Health and Wellness program including: • What are the key health issues affecting employees? • What factors at the worksite influence employee health? • What are the employees’ health and safety concerns? • What strategies are most appropriate to address these health issues? Looking at the answers to these questions will help management start the process of implementing a Health and Wellness program that meets both the needs of the company and the needs of the employees. A comprehensive Health and Wellness program contains multiple individual programs, services and tools. The range of what to include in a program is very broad. The factors that go into the decision to provide a program like this are varied and would obviously include an evaluation of the resources available to invest. An on-site evaluation might include an observation of the work environment, an employee questionnaire and health assessments. Even if your corporation isn’t in a position to subsidize a health fair, providing the information to encourage employees to get them is a start: • Establish relationships with local testing facilities that offer wellness tests or just provide information about them. • Encourage employees to use their Health Savings Account or FSA funds, which are available to them through the first quarter of the year from previous year deposits.
• Create a message board, either in a break room or online, that provides information and coupons or discounts from local health clubs.
Your Organization’s Role Once you have assessed the health of your employees either through observation, questionnaires or testing, it’s time to determine what you want to do about it. The range of possibilities is endless and could start with putting up posters to encourage healthful habits all the way to providing or subsidizing health assessments and exercise facilities or programs. According to the CDC, the basic steps of providing a Health Promotion Program includes the following: 1. Assessing – Looking at the current health of employees and the workplace impact on health as discussed above. 2. Planning – Deciding which and how many programs will be implemented. Deciding who will lead the effort, who will manage it, who will be involved both inside and outside the company and how the program will be communicated to employees. 3. Implementing – Setting up the program entails education for employees, setting up corporate policies around how the program will be run and managed, incorporating any health benefits that will be included and providing the access and information to the program. 4. Evaluating – Determining which pieces of the program have been well received and which have been utilized will assist in targeting the program in the future for the most benefit to the employees and to the organization. Evaluation should include metrics on absenteeism and productivity, improved health outcomes for individuals, changes in health benefit costs and measurements on organizational change such as morale and employee retention.
Getting Your Employees Started The first thing that employees should be encouraged to do is to obtain a baseline of their health with some basic lab tests. Some basic tests that provide valuable information about a person’s health include: • Complete Blood Count (CBC): Tests for blood disorders such as leukemia, anemia and blood clotting. • Chemistry Panel: Includes 16 essential tests which give information about glucose levels, electrolytes, and kidney and liver functions • Lipid Panel: Analyzes your cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL and HDL levels. Results can be used to determine your risk for coronary artery disease or stroke.
• Urinalysis: Tests your urine for substances that can indicate metabolic problems or kidney disorders. • Thyroid Panel: Analyzes thyroid function and signs or hyper- or hypo-thyroidism. All of these tests should provide the individual’s results, plus how the results compare to those of a healthy person. This information will highlight problem areas or areas of concern that may require additional testing or research. Once employees have this information in hand, they are well-armed for the next steps which include goal setting and/or treatment options. Many typical health issues can easily be treated with medications that can prevent further damage or catastrophic health events such as stroke and heart attack. Research has shown that behavioral change can have the greatest impact on preventable disease. Providing information on steps employees can take to lower cholesterol, lose weight, or become more active can prevent disease from occurring and in many cases reverse it. Goal Setting and Using a New Year to Motivate Employees The primary step in setting a goal and the natural next step to achieving a goal (and keeping a resolution) is to determine where you are and where you want to be. Without this key information, it will be impossible to know if you’ve reached your goal. Once employees have obtained a baseline, they can set specific goals. Do they need to lose 10 pounds, 25 pounds or 50 pounds? Do they need to lower their cholesterol by 50 points or 100 points? Is their blood sugar level too high? By how much? All of this information can lead to a very specific plan to reduce caloric intake by the right number of calories or reduce fat consumption by the right percentage. Some targeted goal setting tips that organizations can post or provide via a Health and Wellness eNewsletter can motivate employees to set the right goals and take steps to follow through on the activities needed to achieve their goals: 1. Make it specific – Set a specific number for not only the ultimate goal but for intermediate goals as well. How much time will you spend exercising today, this week, this month and for the year? What steps will you take to lower your cholesterol today and next month? 2. Make it realistic – Trying to lose 30 pounds in one month may not be realistic. Making small changes and expecting small incremental results are more successful than a drastic, cold-turkey approach. Seeing daily or weekly successes will encourage maintenance of good habits. 3. Make it known – Telling others about goals can make people feel accountable for the changes they are making. Setting up office competitions for reaching health targets and maybe adding some incentives such as a coupon for a local healthy restaurant can help employees to work together by making goals public.
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4. Make it measurable by time – Now that employees have a baseline and know their starting points they can set up checkpoints to get retested for progress toward health goals. Again, providing information on local testing facilities or providing in-house testing opportunities can help people stay on track by presenting them with easy ways to measure their progress. 5. Make it fun and rewarding – Ultimately, individuals need to be motivated independently to set and achieve goals that require them to change their long-entrenched habits and move out of their comfort zones. Employees spend almost one-third of every workday at the office. Small rewards or providing healthy snack samples can make a difference. Reiterating that the longterm personal rewards, looking and feeling better for yourself or loved ones, are out there just waiting for people to reach them can remind people of their goals.
Organizational Follow-Through It’s no secret that it’s easier to make a promise than to keep it. Each organization has unique challenges with resources and work environment that can contribute to or prevent their employees from being healthy. Taking the time to invest in the well-being of the individuals that make up the company will keep them productive and at work. Organizations have the responsibility to provide a safe, hazard-free workplace, but they also have significant opportunities to encourage healthful choices and provide a healthy work environment for the 139 million people who go to work every day in the US. Whether it’s a simple health information campaign or a full-blown, comprehensive Health and Wellness Program, is this the year that your organization makes a resolution to improve the health of your employees? It’s not too late to start.
About the Author Maureen Young is a Consumer Education Advocate for ANY LAB TEST NOW®, a direct access health and wellness lab testing facility. She is a writer, healthcare advocate, and fitness enthusiast driven to explore advances in the healthcare and medical industries. Ms. Young started her career in high-tech sales and marketing, but quickly found her passion in education, training and health issues. Ms. Young’s background in technical writing and research enables her to translate medical and technical information into an easily digestible form. Her recent experience includes working for not-for-profit membership organizations, website development and optimization, and health-related blog, E-Book and article writing. http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/index.htm
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“Taking the time to invest in the well-being of the individuals that make up the company will keep them productive and at work.�
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