The Vitality Group Adds Almost 100 New Clients

CHICAGO, Aug. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vitality Group, part of the world's first and largest incentive-based wellness program, has added almost 100 new clients in the U.S. committed to improving the health and well-being of their employees in addition to their bottom line. Vitality member earn rewards for their efforts to live healthier lives through participation in a range of well-being programs and tools.

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"Since we introduced wellness, we've seen a steady decline in our medical and prescription costs per covered employee," said Lisa Sanders, Director, Compensation & Benefits, McCarthy Holdings Inc., a Vitality customer. "We were pleased to see that 93% of our people have done at least one program activity. One of the key reasons we selected Vitality is that the program isn't stagnant and incorporates new technologies for verification and programs to drive engagement."

Deena Denicola, Benefits Analyst III, Ericsson, also a Vitality customer noted, "We were looking for a fun program that would keep employees engaged and drive high participation, as well as one that was simple to use and easy to administer. They also offer a program that will be able to grow with us as our wellness program develops."

New clients representing both private and public entities and industries ranging from grocers to health care firms from across the U.S. include:
-   Ericsson
-   McCarthy Holdings Inc.
-   Office Depot
-   Stillwater Mining

"We see our growth in part as a reflection of the finalized series of regulations to existing wellness programs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)," said Alan Pollard, CEO of The Vitality Group. "The regulations go a long way to ensure well-designed workplace health programs, such as Vitality, continue to motivate people to adopt healthier behaviors and combat the rise of chronic disease. Employers are looking for robust wellness programs focused on verifiable and proven solutions."

The Vitality wellness approach is built on clinical, behavioral and actuarial science applied for more than 15 years. Vitality provides employers proactive, consistent support with an effectively designed health promotion program that leads to better health outcomes, lower health care costs over the long term and, most importantly, a design that conforms to all requirements of the ACA regulations.

How Vitality Works

Members start with an online Health Risk Assessment that identifies relative risk factors for each member and provides them with their Vitality Age™. This is a scientifically calculated representation of their risk-adjusted or "true" age, allowing each member to easily understand how their current behaviors are impacting their health.

Each member is then presented with a Personal Pathway™, a recommended set of activities and goals to assist them in improving their health. Members can select from more than 30 health-related activities including exercising, achieving health goals such as losing weight or stopping smoking, receiving routine preventive care, such as a prostate exam or mammogram and participating in health education program. Members are incentivized for their participation throughout the program and earn Vitality Bucks™, redeemable for merchandise on the Vitality Mall.

For more information about the Vitality program, visit www.thevitalitygroup.com. To join the conversation on Twitter, follow The Vitality Group @TheVitalityGrp.

About Vitality

The Vitality Group is a member of Discovery Ltd., offering the incentive-based wellness program to employers as part of their benefits program. With a foundation based on actuarial science and behavioral economic theory, Vitality encourages changes in lifestyle that reduce health care costs, both in the short run and long term, by rewarding members for addressing their specific health issues. Vitality wellness programs serve companies in a wide range of sizes and industries, improving individuals' health and wellbeing as well as employers' bottom lines.

Vitality brings a global perspective through successful partnerships with best-in-class insurers around the world, including PruHealth and PruProtect in the United Kingdom, PingAn in China and our newest venture, AIA in Singapore, which was announced in July.

SOURCE The Vitality Group