More options in wellness

Priority Health offers employers more options in wellness

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – December 17, 2009) Priority Health is launching a new line of wellness packages available to companies with 50 or more employees.

"It has become critical in this economic environment that employers have the opportunity to take advantage of any cost-saving measures available to them," said Kimberly K. Horn, president and chief executive officer for Priority Health. "As their partner in health, Priority Health can provide tools and resources to improve the health and efficiency of one of their most important resources: their workforce."

Priority Health has worked with employers to provide wellness services for more than five years and has studied the positive impact these programs can have on reducing employer costs. Utilizing this experience the company created streamlined programs to make it even easier for employers to implement wellness successfully within their business. There are three wellness packages: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. Within each package, employers can select different options to suit their needs. Each wellness package is designed to:

• Raise awareness of health risks and lifestyle behaviors
• Educate employees on strategies to improve their health
• Support employees' efforts to make a health behavior change
• Create a corporate culture that embraces healthy lifestyles

Priority Health's wellness packages build from the Basic level, which focuses on raising employee awareness of health issues with options such as online health risk assessments, a rewards program and biometric screenings. The Intermediate package offers employers a higher level of customization and flexibility and features educational and behavioral change services including wellness classes, displays and materials. The Advanced package provides the highest level of customization and reporting functions as well as a thorough health assessment of the employer's workforce.

Priority Health has structured its wellness services to meet a company’s individual needs and budgets. It offers many services as add-ons, including biometric screenings, health coaching, behavioral change programs, wellness classes, wellness displays and custom data uploads. Priority Health also has a relationship with WebMD to provide members online wellness support, health tracking and general health information.

The cost for each of Priority Health's wellness packages varies with product choice, employer size and level of customization. Employers are encouraged to contact Priority Health’s wellness team to help determine the best product and tools to align with their corporate culture. Visit the employer wellness section of this website to learn more about Priority Health's wellness packages.

Prevention and wellness have been the foundation of Priority Health's approach to health care for more than 20 years. An approach Priority Health termed, HealthforLife, has positioned the company as an industry leader in keeping members healthy by preventing illness, managing chronic conditions and ultimately reducing costs. Priority Health's HealthforLife approach has a proven record of results including:

• Companies enrolled in Priority Health's HealthbyChoice Rewards^SM program for five years have seen significant improvement in the percentage of their employees with low health risks – 66% compared to 51% for groups participating for the first time.
• Priority Health is among the best health plans nationally for ensuring patients receive screenings for both cervical (92% versus 80%) and breast cancer (82% versus 71%).

• Priority Health's chronic condition programs helped to avoid an average of $423 a year in health care costs for every person participating.
  

About Priority Health:

Priority Health is a nationally recognized health benefits company. It serves more than half a million people with a broad portfolio of products including commercial and government health plans. As a nonprofit, Priority Health has been dedicated to providing all people access to affordable health care for more than 20 years. It continues to be recognized as one of America's Best Health Plans by U.S. News & World Report and the National Committee for Quality Assurance.