SAN DIEGO, Jan. 18, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Healthyroads, Inc., the wellness subsidiary of leading personal health improvement company American Specialty Health (ASH), announced that it has been selected by Webcor Builders (Webcor) in San Mateo, Calif., to provide the Healthyroads Coaching Programs for Weight Management, Tobacco Cessation, and Healthy Living to the building contractor's 400-plus employees.
Implementation of the coaching programs has already met with great success, noted ASH wellness consulting director Brenda Jensen. "With the help of Healthyroads, Webcor Builders has employed unique incentives and marketing promotions to drive employee participation," Jensen said. "Webcor employees can receive incentives such as extra vacation time for participating in the coaching programs, and they can also take part in Healthyroads' Get Healthy! National Awards Program -- and maybe win a shopping spree or a new car as a reward for improving their health."
The Healthyroads Coaching Programs feature telephone-based motivational and goal-oriented coaching, plus assistance in setting and tracking employees' health and wellness goals. And for Webcor employees with bariatric (weight loss) surgery coverage available through their individual health plan, Healthyroads' registered dietitians, certified personal trainers, registered nurses, and other health coaches can help address the diet, exercise, and lifestyle challenges that accompany this surgery.
Also included are a variety of online tools providing e-communication, health status trackers, and health resources. An extra program feature allows Webcor employees to receive discounts of up to 40 percent off MSRP on more than 2,400 health and wellness products -- including nutrition bars, homeopathic remedies, tobacco cessation tools, and fitness equipment -- available online at Healthyroads.com(r).
A final, key component of the wellness solution selected by Webcor is the Healthyroads health risk assessment (HRA), a convenient tool that employees can use to assess and improve their health. Upon completion of the HRA, employees receive a customized report outlining steps they can take to begin leading a healthier, more active lifestyle. Employees can then work with their Healthyroads coach to determine the healthy nutrition, exercise, and stress management goals that are right for them. In addition, aggregate HRA data can be shared with the employer to help it better evaluate -- and act on -- the health status of a particular workforce.
According to ASH chairman, president, and chief executive officer George DeVries, the value of including an HRA in an employer's overall wellness solution is reflected by a study published in the November 2006 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. In the study, researchers found that wellness programs that include an HRA component can significantly reduce individual health care costs -- to the tune of hundreds of dollars a year. Of the nearly 60,000 retirees and their aged dependents who participated in the study, those who used an HRA in combination with telephone-based coaching or another wellness intervention saw an average annual cost savings of over $400 in Medicare-paid health spending.
"By selecting Healthyroads as its wellness vendor and actively encouraging employee participation in the coaching programs, Webcor Builders has demonstrated that it is one of the nation's most progressive employers focusing on workplace wellness," DeVries added. "Webcor is committed to improving employee health over the long term, and we are pleased to partner with this organization as it seeks to help its employees lead healthier, more active lives."
About Webcor Builders
Webcor Builders is the leading West Coast commercial construction company and the most sought-after contractor on luxury residential high-rise buildings in California. The company also sponsors the Webcor Professional Women's Cycling Team, comprised of a talented group of past Olympians and past world and national champions. On and off the bike, these women, selected to represent Webcor's "Wellness Rewards Program," truly embody the spirit and practice of the Healthyroads Coaching Programs. The team leads by example, encouraging Webcor employees to lead balanced yet vigorous lifestyles.
About American Specialty Health
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.
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.
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