Amy's Kitchen Cooks Up Affordable Healthcare for Its Employees

LAFAYETTE, Calif., March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to a company's health benefits, they should be exactly that - benefits, rather than drawbacks. In line with that thinking, Amy's Kitchen, a California-based producer of organic and natural foods, has rejected the current trend of medical benefit cutbacks and, instead, has engineered an expanded plan for its employees and their dependents alike. How is Amy's doing all this and, more important, affording it?

Amy's partnered with Filice Insurance to perform a health risk and claims utilization analysis. From this analysis, Amy's and Filice developed a customized strategic plan to expand Amy's already high level of health benefits for employees and families, and do so while achieving long-term cost savings. Filice designed a solution that incorporates a self-insured model, a focus on prevention and chronic condition management, specific Health and Wellness programs, and onsite health centers at both Amy's Santa Rosa and White City, OR locations. The health centers are staffed with a primary care physician and licensed nurse and managed by QuadMed, a national leader in onsite medical care for employees. Amy's employees and their families at both locations now enjoy $5 co-pays for everything from checkups to vaccines, lab work, and other types of preventative care, all offered by a health center that takes a proactive approach to healthcare.

The idea is that Amy's saves money through a program designed and finely tuned to address patient needs while encouraging and supporting good health, ideally before it digresses into a more serious, costly state. Patients with chronic conditions are referred to specialists when necessary, but the majority of the care is provided by the health center, a much more convenient and cost-effective solution.

"Among several key findings, our analysis indicated that, despite having insurance, Amy's employees at times avoided routine and preventative healthcare because they assumed it would be too expensive," says Dan Michelini, President of Filice Insurance. "Consequently, employees were more likely to develop serious and costly conditions later on. Amy's has always provided a comprehensive benefits program for its employees, and the onsite health centers are further proof of their concern for employee health."

The ongoing analysis incorporates Filice's signature modules: Health Risk Profile, Medical Plan Informatics, Pharmacy Usage Analytics and Plan Modeling. Kryijztoff Novotnaj, Filice's VP of Health Informatics, interprets the data, uncovering the current plan's weaknesses and maximizing the ongoing benefits of a dependable self-insured model. With that program now adopted, Amy's also has implemented several recommended strategies for ensuring the plan's success.

"We're strengthening our communications about the new benefits, specifically what it costs, where to access care, and the provider's role in treating both acute and chronic conditions," says Cindy Gillespie, vice-president of Amy's HR department. "Such strategies support and sustain a happier, healthier workforce, which is critical to a productive company culture. Quality healthcare is now something that's accessible and more affordable for all of us here at Amy's."

About Amy's Kitchen, Inc.

Amy's is the nation's leading source of natural and organic convenience food. The market for organic foods is among the fastest-growing grocery categories, with sales expanding at more than 10 percent annually. Now celebrating its 24th year, Amy's is a family-owned and operated business based in Sonoma County, California. Its products are available nationally in natural foods stores, most supermarkets and select warehouse club stores, as well as internationally. Amy's currently has production facilities in California, Oregon, and Corby, England.

Amy's uses certified organic ingredients, including vegetables, grains and fruits grown without pesticides. Fats are used sparingly and selectively; all dairy ingredients are made with pasteurized rBST hormone-free milk and do not contain animal enzymes or animal rennet. No dishes contain meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs or peanuts. Amy's products are non-GMO and do not contain hydrogenated fats or oils.

For more information about Amy's products, the company and more, visit http://www.amys.com. Join the lively Amy's Facebook community at http://www.facebook.com/AmysGoOrganic and follow Amy's on Twitter @Amy's_Kitchen.

About Filice Insurance

Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in Lafayette, Sacramento and Irvine, Filice Insurance combines years of experience in designing, implementing and managing employee benefits solutions with a customized service model to provide exceptional value to clients. Established in 1989, Filice currently supports a client base of 2,000+ companies ranging in size from 25-5,000 employees, making it one of the largest independent employee benefits and insurance consulting firms in Northern California. For more information, visit http://www.filice.com.

Contact:

Dawn Alvarez, PHR, CCWC
Filice HR Compliance & Wellness
925-962-1982
[email protected]

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Filice Insurance