Insurers remedy high costs with preventive measures - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Armed with information about medical claims, prescriptions purchased and lab work insurance carriers are in an ideal position to find ways to mitigats the movementtoward double-digi t increases in health care costs, said Rick president of the employee benefitas division at "They are in the best positiom to have the data that showsa what the status is of the health of the population," he "Fifty percent to 70 percent of all claimes are behavior-based." One way insurance carriers are helping lower healtn care costs is through offering s such as the Silver Sneakers Fitness Program. The which is administered by Healthwayss Inc. of Nashville, Tenn.
, and offered locallt through Humana, is one of few area program in which an insurance carrier directly pays forits participants' healtuh club memberships. The program began in 1994 as an offerinvfor Medicare-eligible members of an Arizona-base insurance provider. Today, Healthways administers the program througgnational partners, including Humana, at almost 2,60p fitness centers in 49 the District of Columbia and Puertok Rico. David Goodspeed, director of corporate communicationwsfor Healthways, said it makes sensre that the program was founded for the elderly.
Accordinhg to Healthways statistics, 60 percent of Silverf Sneakers members reported never having a membershilp to a fitness center before joining the grouo and 45 percent exercised fewer than three timews a week before the After joining, 75 percent said they exercisedf three or more days a week. This age grouop also tends to be one ofthe high-cosft groups for insurers. Insurance companies pay a fee to Healthwaysd based on the number of eligible memberds intheir market. David market president for Humana's Kansas and Missouri operations, said it is a good benefi t to offer to seniors that provides a returm forthe company.
"If we are reducing claims costds by making them healthier then it pays foritsel overall," he said. A study conducted by the founr that health care costs of Silver Sneakeras members during the first year of program participation were onaverage $441 lowed than for nonparticipants. Goodspeed said Healthways is explorin similar options for all Miller saidHumana doesn't plan to offerr the program for its commercialo participants because many of thoswe members already attend health clubs. He said Humanw wouldn't get the same "cost-benefi t as we do with the seniors ... dollars and centd has a lot to dowith it.
" Humana offera its commercial customers what many insurancr companies now are offering: high-toucn wellness programs, Miller said. These programs typically are comprised of services such as healthrisk assessments, biometric educational Web sites and incentives for gym membership and othed products. "Step one is to help engages the member into their own healtn more than inthe past," said Kahler of Lockton Cos. "We have founs that when an individual takes that time to sit down and understan that information then oftentimees theywill act.
" Kahle said insurance carrierws can participate financially in these programs by offeringg to provide these services at no cost to the employer "Part of our process of selecting who the best carriere is now is askingy 'What wellness resources do you have and how much is that goinbg to cost?'" he said. Kahle said that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City has made the most stridea inoffering on-site citing its A Healthier You initiative. The program began in 2005 with 10 employedr groups and has grown to almostt60 organizations.
Blue Cross brings a health fair to the workplaced totake participants' information, including body mass index, bloofd pressure, glucose and cholesterol. They also offer customize programs such as smoking cessatiomn andweight management. "We feel that a high-touch component makes a difference versuxhigh tech," said Sue Johnson, a spokeswomanm for Blue Cross of Kansas City. "Itr all comes down to education." Aetns joined the race by introducing a Healthy Livinbg credit card last year to complemen its traditionalwellness programs.
This rewards card offers threes redeemable points forevery $1 spent on health-related expenseds including doctor visits, sporting good purchases and fitness center membership "There is recognition that employers want employees to be said Rachelle Cunningham, a spokeswoman for "When people take better care of themselves it will impacyt the money spent on health Healthy advantage Employers offer the most commobn form of wellness incentives, said Rick Kahle, presidengt of the employee benefits division at Lockto n Cos. Inc.
• 75 percent to 90 percent of individuals will participate in wellness initiatives when employers offetr to pay for part ofan employee's healthb care premiums in exchange for adoptintg a healthier lifestyle, Kahle said. • Employersd got $3.48 back in reduced health care costsz for every dollar they spent onemployes wellness, according to a 2005 study by the Center for Preventiom and Health Services in Washington, D.C. • That same studuy found that employerssaved $5.821 in absenteeism costs for every dollar spent on employees wellness programs.