SAN DIEGO, Dec. 21, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- As reflected in a new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM), the combination of a health risk assessment and wellness interventions, such as those offered by Healthyroads, Inc., can significantly reduce seniors' Medicare-paid health care costs. Healthyroads is the wellness subsidiary of leading personal health improvement company American Specialty Health (ASH).
The report, "The Savings Gained From Participation in Health Promotion Programs for Medicare Beneficiaries," appeared in the November 2006 issue of JOEM. Authors of the study, which was sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, included experts from Thomson Medstat, General Motors, Cornell University, and the University of Michigan.
For this seven-year trial, researchers examined the costs savings associated with the use of health promotion programs by nearly 60,000 Medicare-covered sample members. Study participants included retirees of a large manufacturing company with offices and plant locations in two Midwestern states, as well as the retirees' aged dependents.
As detailed by study authors Ronald J. Ozminkowski, Ron Z. Goetzel, et al., the retirees' former employer funded a series of health promotion programs to determine the health outcomes and fiscal impact of participation in the programs. Available programs included a health risk assessment (HRA) and biometric screenings, among other options. Study participants took part in the programs that best suited their individual interests and health needs at various times over the study period. "High-risk" sample members were also recruited to participate in telephone-based lifestyle counseling to help improve their risk profile and, thus, their health.
According to the researchers, use of an HRA was key to the reduction of participants' Medicare-paid health spending. Use of an HRA by itself brought about significant cost savings, and sample members who used an HRA in combination with telephone-based coaching or another wellness intervention saw an even greater reduction of $442 annually in total medical care expenditures. This number jumped to $569 in annual savings if the HRA was used in combination with two or more of the employer's health promotion programs.
"The findings of this study are significant for the Medicare community and for employers across the country, particularly as a growing number of American workers are facing retirement," said ASH chief medical officer Robert Crocker, MD. "With only a fraction of Medicare beneficiaries accounting for nearly half of total spending, those of us in the health improvement industry must take action to promote improvements in workers' health both now and into retirement."
"This study firmly establishes that employer-sponsored health promotion programs can be successful from a health improvement standpoint as well as a fiscal one," noted ASH chairman, president, and chief executive officer George DeVries. "Healthyroads has long promoted the value of including options such as an HRA or a health coaching intervention in an employer's overall wellness solution, and we are pleased that this research has linked such programs to a clear cost savings for Medicare."
About American Specialty Health Incorporated
ASH and its subsidiaries provide benefit, fitness, and wellness programs to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds nationwide. Healthyroads, Inc. is ASH's wellness, health education, and e-commerce subsidiary, offering award-winning weight management, tobacco cessation, and healthy living programs. Available Healthyroads wellness solutions include the Healthyroads health risk assessment, telephone-based motivational and goal-oriented coaching, and member discounts on more than 2,400 health and wellness products.
Based in San Diego, ASH has over 500 employees and covers more than 12 million members in benefit programs and more than 500,000 members in wellness programs. For more information, visit ASH online at ASHCompanies.com or call 800.848.3555.