Health Management Remains Attractive Benefit As Employers Prepare To Meet Reform's Changes

HealthFitness adds record 318,032 employee lives, performs 202,000 screenings in 2012

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Implementation of health reform regulations shift into high gear this new year, and 2014 will come fast with major changes in the way consumers and employers purchase health care. But the value of healthy, high-producing employees endures, keeping health management programs among the smart employee benefit solutions for employers of all stripes.

HealthFitness has become a partner of choice for employers with an eye toward lowering health  care costs and improving employee health and productivity; today, one in five Fortune 100 companies is a HealthFitness client. The past year saw a record number of on-site health screenings performed by HealthFitness on behalf of its health management clients.

In 2012, HealthFitness professionals screened 202,281 individuals at their workplaces to pinpoint personal health risks, a nearly 10 percent increase over 2011 numbers. More than 350,000 individuals—a larger number than the entire population of Tampa, Fla. —completed health risk assessments, representing a greater than 40 percent increase. Most importantly, 277,909 health management participants discussed their personal health risks with a HealthFitness health advisor, a 48 percent increase over the previous year. The number of participants enrolled in EMPOWERED Coaching™also rose in 2012, topping 70,000.

"Employers are concerned about the cost of health insurance, but they also understand the value of identifying personal health risks and providing the programs to help employees improve their health—it's an investment in better health and increased productivity," said Paul Lotharius, HealthFitness president and chief executive officer. "Comprehensive, integrated programs have the potential to improve the health of every employee and health plan member."

The trend to grow and enhance employer-based health management is evident in the marketplace. More than 20 additional organizations across a range of employment sectors—including mid-sized firms—chose HealthFitness in 2012 to manage their integrated employee health management programs, resulting in a record-setting year for the Minneapolis-based provider of employee health and fitness management services. Comprehensive solutions integrating condition management with its highly regarded EMPOWERED Coaching boosted HealthFitness' appeal in 2012.  HealthFitness employees provide services to employees in all 50 states. New HealthFitness clients include AECOM, a global provider of professional technical and management support services and FirstGroup, a leader in transportation services. In all, 318,032 new individuals were covered by a HealthFitness programs in 2012.

"We wanted to develop a culture of wellness within our company," said FirstGroup America Vice President Frank Gottschall. "HealthFitness offers us flexibility in tailoring programs to our needs. Their wellness knowledge, high level of energy and program management model, which offers an onsite dedicated individual, have us off to a great start and we look forward to continuous improvement in the future."

Most large employers, and increasingly mid-sized employers, have an integrated view of employee health that includes worksite-based health management programs, and will continue to seek partners such as HealthFitness to design and implement these worksite-based initiatives. A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found 84 percent of employers believe workplace health management initiatives both lower overall health care costs and improve productivity. More than half of the organizations surveyed already have these programs in place, and 69 percent of those without worksite health management programs intend to implement them in the near term.[1]

About HealthFitness
HealthFitness, a subsidiary of The Trustmark Companies, is an award-winning, NCQA-accredited provider of health management, corporate fitness management and condition management solutions. With 35-plus years of experience, HealthFitness is a proven leader and partner for infusing a culture of health. We maximize client results through personalized interaction and a science-based approach to on-site program management, engagement and prevention. HealthFitness provides a portfolio of solutions, including best-in-class integration, INSIGHT® Health Risk Assessments, screenings and EMPOWERED Coaching™. For more information on HealthFitness, visit www.healthfitness.com. 

[1] Survey of 406 HR professionals fielded by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota; reported Dec. 2012,  http://www.slideshare.net/fullscreen/shrm/workplace-wellnessinitiativessurveyfindings/3.

SOURCE HealthFitness