BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF TEXAS ANNOUNCES WELLNESS TOOLS AND RESOURCES
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas helps employer groups and members Experience Wellness Everywhere
Richardson, TX (March 24, 2008) – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) today announced new integrated tools and resources designed to promote members’ health, wellness, and productivity, including:
- health assessment and health planning tools
- health educational resources
- lifestyle management programs
- worksite wellness initiatives, and
- motivational and incentive programs
"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas’ goal is to help our members experience wellness everywhere,” said Darren Rodgers, president, BCBSTX. “Blue Cross recognizes that the tools required to help individuals improve their health varies, based on each individual’s condition and lifestyle. So we have developed a variety of resources and outreach programs to address each individual’s needs, including direct support to help members who may require greater assistance to reach their optimum level of health."
Self-assessment helps members understand and address health issues
BCBSTX's wellness tools and resources consist of several components, starting with health risk assessments (HRA), which help participants evaluate and better understand their health status. Based on their input, HRAs produce personalized reports, which highlight areas of health risk. Using the reports, members can develop health goals and plans for improvement that address fitness, nutrition, and a host of related issues. In addition, they can enroll in lifestyle management programs, covering topics ranging from tobacco cessation to weight management.
Worksite wellness resources for employers
BCBSTX’s wellness tools also incorporate a number of worksite wellness modules, including Webinars on health and wellness topics; onsite health fairs, health screenings, and topic-specific health and wellness seminars; and health information.
In addition, BCBSTX provides wellness campaigns "in a box" spanning a range of topics, from walking programs to weight management contests. Campaigns include planning tips and pre-written employee communications materials, such as e-mails, posters, and fliers. BCBSTX also incorporates educational components, such as pre-written articles and an online health encyclopedia, drug index, and interactive symptom checker.
Participating members also have access to nurses by phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as to email access to dietitians, life coaches, and trainers. In addition, BCBSTX offers discounts on memberships to a variety of other health clubs and weight management programs. Further, BCBSTX members can receive discounts on a variety of alternative and complementary health care products and services, ranging from vitamins and herbal supplements to acupuncture, meditation, yoga, and mind and body therapies.
"As we do with our core benefits programs, Blue Cross will work with employer groups to design and customize wellness tools and resources to meet their needs," Rodgers said.
Motivating employees to participate key
BCBSTX also incorporates incentives, which motivate members to participate and reward them for completing various activities. For example, participants may be rewarded for completing HRAs (Health Risk Assessment), developing a fitness or nutrition plan, or participating in physical activities, such as walking, swimming, or dancing. Rewards may range from deductible credits to gift cards redeemable for a range of products and services.
Employers can assess effectiveness
Measurement and evaluation capabilities help employers assess efficacy. For example, employers can access unidentified aggregate HRA data, which provide information about their employee population’s overall health, highlighting top areas of concerns. This component is available to employers with more than 100 enrolled subscribers and at least 50 members completing their HRAs. The report is benchmarked against many different groups with similar socio-demographic factors, industry segments, and locations both in the United States and internationally. The report also identifies and recommends wellness activities that target areas of focus identified by the aggregate HRA data.
BCBSTX is committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and its communities through accessible, cost-effective, quality health care.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas -- the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 40,000 physicians and 400 hospitals to serve 3.8 million members in all 254 counties. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the country’s largest non-investor-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. HCSC is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
CONTACT: Ross Blackstone, Health Care Service Corporation
ross_blackstone@hcsc.net
972-766-1735 (office), 469-834-6843 (cell)
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