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The National Business Group on Health (NBGH) recently responded to an invitation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to comment on the proposed GINA regulations. The organization stated that the criteria for voluntary employer-sponsored health management programs as spelled out under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is more than sufficient to safeguard employees from discrimination and that “we believe that any modification in the definition of ‘voluntary’ that differs from HIPAA requirements will only serve to confuse employer sponsors of wellness programs.” The NBGH went on to say it thought the confusion may prompt many employers to “scale back or eliminate their wellness programs at this critical time of health care reform,” which would be counter intuitive to President Obama’s reform efforts. In agreement with NBGH, we ensure the employee information we gather through our health risk assessments and other health screening events specifically benefit your associates directly. Furthermore, for reporting purposes, our aggregate data shared with you is protected under existing state and federal medical privacy laws. The controversy surrounding the language in GINA will surely be a debate on the Hill over the coming months. We can all expect modifications over the course of time. And so now, we wait to see how it transpires. We can all rest assured, however, that our mutual intent is to provide confidential and comprehensive employee health initiatives that not only improve people’s lives, but also bring down the cost of health care, which is right in line with President Obama’s reform efforts. Yours in good health,
Inside HealthFitness On June 8, HealthFitness launched the Great American Fitness Adventure (GAFA), a new online program available through our eHealth platform that encourages participants to virtually exercise their way through the natural wonders and rugged outdoors of some of the most popular places throughout the United States. Participants take a “trip” to as many as 70 national parks, forests and other outdoor attractions from such places as Sugarloaf in Maine to Haleakala in Hawaii. But they must log at least 30 minutes of actual physical activity a day to earn a park sticker good for a virtual tour of each location. A limited number of free passes allow visitors to “visit” locations on the days they don’t get at least 30 minutes of exercise. “Great American Fitness Adventure is designed for individuals who seek a fun, informative and outdoor physical activity-themed online program that engages and motivates them to adopt an active lifestyle,” said Tanja Madsen, HealthFitness’ director of program development. “The program also appeals to worksites where team competitions are popular and motivating.” Participants can choose to compete individually or in teams of at least four, but either way, the goal for each participant is to achieve 30 minutes or more of physical activity every day for a minimum of 50 days within the 10-week program. The choice of activity is up to each participant, but GAFA encourages participants to get outside, take in some fresh air and try something new. “Great American Fitness Adventure is not only rewarding for participants, it’s easy for an employer to implement,” Madsen stated. “And GAFA can be especially appealing to employers who have dispersed populations as participants can access the program 24/7 from their own computers.” The program has a simple registration process, easy-to-use online tracking, daily motivational e-mails with tracking reminder and healthy recipes, access to information on over 50 outdoor sports and activities for participants to consider, plus tools and other resources to help keep them engaged. This online program is made available through HealthFitness’ partnership with Health Enhancement Systems, Inc. For more information on offering the Great American Fitness Adventure to your employees, contact your HealthFitness program manager.
Flu Vaccinations Vital to a Healthy, Productive Workforce Seasonal influenza causes an estimated 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths each year. Additionally, employees with the flu typically miss three to five days of work, followed by a period of up to two weeks when their on-the-job performance can be impaired. Those lost days of work and diminished productivity can adversely impact a company’s bottom line. The single best way to avoid the high cost of seasonal flu is to provide employees flu vaccinations. HealthFitness provides flu vaccination events, such as on-site vaccination clinics, which are convenient for employees, and cost-effective for employers.
Flu vaccines are typically available from early September through December. Reserve your date for a HealthFitness flu vaccination event today by contacting Denise Mandik, 630-584-4165,
denise.mandik@hfit.com. Event reservations made 75 days in advance are recommended.
Best-in-class Practices and Awards
The awards were presented June 24 during NBGH’s Joint Summit of the Institutes on Health Care Costs and Solutions and the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity in Arlington, Va. According to the Washington, D.C.-based NBGH, winners of the fifth annual awards were “recognized for their exceptional commitment to a healthy workplace and for helping their employees and families make better choices about their own health and well-being.”
Some of HealthFitness’ clients earning this year’s recognition and their award categories include:
Platinum - for established “Healthy Weight, Healthy Lifestyles” programs with measurable success and documented outcomes:
• CIGNA
Gold - for creating cultural and environmental changes that support employees who are committed to long-term behavior changes:
• Pfizer, Inc.
Silver - for employers who have launched programs or services to promote living a healthier lifestyle:
• ARAMARK
“While all of our clients deserve acknowledgment for their ongoing efforts to promote employee health and well-being, we congratulate and commend these award winners on achieving this prestigious recognition,” said Gregg O. Lehman, president and CEO, HealthFitness. “It proves that when employers consider employee health an investment rather than an expense, the return on that investment can be clearly measured not only in dollars, but in the improvement of employees’ lives.”
Eastman Chemical Company Recipient of Tennessee’s 2009 Shining Star Award for Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
On June 25, Eastman earned special recognition for its commitment to health. Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen presented Eastman Chemical Company a 2009 Shining Star Award for its efforts in the promotion of healthy lifestyles in the workplace. Eastman was one of only 10 state-wide organizations honored.
“I applaud the efforts of these organizations in improving the health and fitness of Tennessee citizens,” said Governor Bredesen. “The work of these groups and the individuals they inspire helps Tennessee become a healthier state and puts us on track to live longer lives.”
The organizations were honored by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health, which recognizes that to be successful in affecting a change in the lifestyle habits of Tennesseans, a cooperative effort is required of government agencies, businesses, communities and individuals in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
Eastman has been committed to employee wellness since the mid-1990s, but in 2003, the company began to take a more holistic view of health. The company changed its health plan design from a traditional co-pay structure to a deductible/coinsurance arrangement, and began to educate employees about health care costs while instilling a greater sense of accountability.
“Improved health comes from engaging people and improving the quality of health outcomes,” said David Sensibaugh, director of Eastman Integrated Health. “It’s about engaging employees with accountability and long-term health education strategies they can incorporate into their daily lives for years to come.”
Eastman employs more than 10,000 employees worldwide. The company provides integrated health programs for more than 8,000 employees in the U.S., and also provides health benefits for approximately 7,000 retirees. The company has been a HealthFitness client since 1991.
Key Ingredient for MillerCoors’ Success is Blend of Services
Wellness was where it all started. In 1981, the former Coors Brewing Company executive Bill Coors was told by physicians he needed more exercise. So the company opened the doors to The Coors Wellness Center at the entrance of the brewery. Today, the 23,000-square-foot center includes a full gym, an elevated track, basketball court, indoor golf driving area, a variety of group exercise classes, health and nutritional consultations and much more. But it doesn’t stop there.
As the largest single brewery in the world, the facility has approximately 3,700 employees, the majority of which are required to perform physically demanding work for long periods of time. To better address workplace safety and injury issues, Coors partnered with HealthFitness in 2004 and expanded its wellness center to include an occupational health service line, which added an on-site physical therapy clinic, ergonomic evaluations, a range of injury prevention services and a work conditioning program. In addition, two stretching areas were created within the brewery itself and they provide a variety of equipment for employees to use to relieve strained muscles while on the job.
Plus, employees are also provided the opportunity to reduce their medical insurance premiums ($240 annually) by participating in free, yearly health screenings and completing one of a variety of health improvement programs offered through the wellness center.
“Our program is totally blended in every area of service,” said Tracey Cox, HealthFitness’ on-site program manager. “The overall program purpose is improved management of employee health care costs and higher productivity through better employee health status and effective management of workplace injuries using a targeted prevention and effective treatment approach.”
Proof of the blended program’s success is in the numbers. Physical therapy clients have a 99 percent return to full duty status, and the physical therapy service consistently shows a 1:2 cost to savings ratio, a significant contribution to the company realizing a 33 percent decline in workers’ compensation expenses for the past three years. In addition, membership in the wellness center is up to 1,638, or 44 percent of the brewery’s 3,716 eligible population, plus group and specialty class participation increased 30 percent in 2008.
Considered a leader in the Denver, Colo., area health and wellness community, The MillerCoors Wellness Center has also been earning national respect. Coors earned an Institute of Health and Productivity Management award in 2006 in recognition of the brewery’s increase in productivity as a result of its employees’ improved health status. In addition, in 2008 The Coors Wellness Center was awarded “Platinum Status” as a “Start! Fit Friendly Company” by the American Heart Association. This award was given for the wellness center’s continuing achievements as a leader in the employee wellness industry.
“The wellness center is now considered a primary occupational health resource for Safety, Medical, Human Resources and other company operations departments,” Cox stated. “During 2009, we expect to expand our occupational health services to include the combined MillerCoors’ population.”
Workplace Weight Loss Programs Key
to Reducing Employee Obesity
In its recently published report, “Weights and Measures: What Employers Should Know about Obesity,” The Conference Board found that obesity is associated with a 36 percent increase in spending on health care services, more than smoking or problem drinking. This is because obesity has been linked to several serious medical conditions, including:
• Heart disease and stroke
The report also indicates that at least 40 percent of U. S. companies have responded to employee obesity issues by implementing weight reduction programs in the workplace. Here are a couple companies that have implemented HealthFitness’ 10-week
Your Weigh…Together weight-loss program with some measureable success.
Maplewood-Minn.-based 3M, known for its diversified technology, began offering the
Your Weigh…Together sessions to its employees in 2006 and the program has been gaining momentum ever since. So far this year, of the 3M participants who lost weight, their average loss has been 10.6 pounds, beating last year’s average weight loss of 10.2 pounds per participant. “3M had excellent weight loss,” said Kelly O’Connor, HealthFitness’ outcomes coordinator. “In fact, they had even better average pounds lost than all HealthFitness
Your Weigh…Together program participants did in 2008. And at 8.3 pounds, the overall HealthFitness average per participant was great itself!”
Of the 3M employees participating in the weight-loss program this year, 16.7 percent of them reduced their body weight by at least 5 percent, which according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, is enough to delay or even prevent the risk of serious medical conditions.
At Boston Scientific, the medical device manufacturer, more than half (57.1 percent) of its employees participating in
Your Weigh…Together at its HealthFitness-managed fitness center in St. Paul, Minn., also managed to reduce their body weight by at least 5 percent, while 100 percent of them lost weight averaging 11.9 pounds per participant, compared to 7.7 pounds per participant in 2008.
“The people who stayed with the program had good weight loss success,” O’Connor stated. She also said more than two-thirds of participants had a high health risk due to physical inactivity prior to enrolling in the program, but upon completion, 100 percent of them were exercising between four and seven days a week.
HealthFitness’ Your Weigh…Together includes weekly interactive group sessions led by a trained professional in an educational and supportive environment. Each participant is provided individualized support for their goals, and tracking software to help manage daily calories. Participants gain skills on healthy eating, and how to enjoy daily physical activity to balance their calorie intake. Industry Insights
As you may recall, two bills were reintroduced in the Senate and the House in April: The Health Promotion FIRST (Funding Integrated Research Synthesis and Training), which would provide a better planning and research foundation for health promotion, and the Healthy Workforce Act, which would provide tax credit for 50 percent of the cost of a qualified employer health promotion program.
The great news is many of the ideas from these bills made it through the committee level and we now want to ensure these health promotion provisions remain in the health care reform legislation prior to it passing through Congress.
The full Senate may vote on health care reform legislation as early as the week of July 20. The House of Representatives is expected to vote in early September and President Obama is expected to sign health care reform legislation into law in October.
To make contacting members of Congress as easy as possible, a new Web-based tool has been developed by Health Promotion Advocates (http://www.healthpromotionadvocates.org) which will automatically fax a prepared advocacy letter to your Senators and Representatives.
All you need to do is click on this link:
http://www.PassWellnessAct.org and enter your name and address. This tool will prepare a personalized letter for each of your two Senators and your Representative. It will also include the name of the staff member responsible for health issues in each office. You merely click one button to view the letters and a second button to have the letters faxed. The faxes will be paid for by Health Promotion Advocates.
This legislation has the potential to transform the health promotion field, create new career opportunities for health promotion professionals, and enhance the overall health of all Americans. Please encourage your associates to take action today.
Buzz from Recent Research
In the study, researchers recruited 200 overweight women, ages 25-70, who had lost at least 5 percent of their body weight within the previous six months. Participants were randomized to one of four groups: an intensive support program and either a high carbohydrate diet or a high monounsaturated fat diet; or a simpler support program and either a high carbohydrate diet or a high monounsaturated fat diet.
The simpler program involved weigh-ins and supportive phone calls (about 10 minutes) every two weeks (each on alternate weeks), monthly support groups and support “buddies.” The intensive support program had a similar structure but also included 11 one-on-one sessions with a nutritionist and exercise trainer (about 35 minutes) and optional circuit training sessions at a local gym twice a week.
After two years, the average weight loss (about five pounds) did not differ between support groups or the different diets. The study results showed that a relatively inexpensive and simple program can be as effective for weight maintenance as a more expensive program over a two-year period. Furthermore, two of the most widely promoted diets for weight loss can be equally effective for maintaining weight. Participants reported on-going and regular support and encouragement were the primary factors that helped them sustain lifestyle changes.
Given the overwhelming cost associated with obesity, it is encouraging to see that a simple program with regular support can be as effective for weight maintenance as more costly intensive programs.
Source: Dale KS et al. Determining optimal approaches for weight maintenance: A randomized controlled trial.
CMAJ. May 12, 2009;180(10):E39-E46.
Reform, Preventive Care, Evidence-Based Medicine Dominate Industry Conference
There was also a significant shift in the discussion at this year’s conference from managing chronic medical conditions to more talk on preventive and wellness care as a means to holding down health care costs.
Linked into reform and the preventive care theme was targeted discussion on the realignment of using incentives with physicians who use evidence-based medicine as a means to higher quality results (pay for performance rather than utilization) and how this shift in care practice and reimbursement will help decrease overall health care costs while improving people’s lives.
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