Aetna Health ConnectionsSM Programs For Wellness Target Optimal Health
Enhanced tools and programs offer personalized content and support
HARTFORD, Conn., September 12, 2006 — Aetna (NYSE: ΑET) today announced its portfolio of health and wellness programs within the Aetna Health Connections medical management strategy. The enhanced wellness and incentive programs provide information, personal support and discounts to encourage members to understand and engage in achieving or maintaining their optimal health.
"Good health is a significant driver of a good quality of life, and is often something that can be preserved throughout much of our lives. We encourage members to view their health as a tangible asset that they have the power to enhance and protect through healthy behaviors and routine and preventive care," said Patricia Mueller, M.D., head of Medical Operations for Aetna. "Our Wellness Programs continue Aetna’s long history of encouraging preventive care. They offer enhanced online tools and information, as well as structured programs that enable individual, personal interaction with clinical professionals who can help our members understand their current health risks, and establish and meet goals to lower their risks and maintain their good health."
For 2007, Aetna’s medical products will continue to feature value-added wellness components such as our Simple Steps To A Healthier Life® program which offers an on-line health assessment, as well as information on how to eat right, get in shape, lose weight, cope better with stress, and other health issues. In late October 2006, Aetna will add to its portfolio of programs a new Weight Management Discount Program. Eligible members will be offered discounts on Jenny Craig® weight loss program and products, including a free 30-day trial membership, discounts on 6-month and 1-year programs, access to personalized, one-on-one weight loss consultation services, menu planning and motivational materials. Once the program is effective in late October, all members need to do is print a coupon from the secure Aetna member website and bring their member ID card to a Jenny Craig center, or call the Jenny Direct at-home program to enroll.
For plan sponsors who seek more hands-on support for their employees and their dependents, Aetna’s offerings dovetail with our online health assessment and feature a range of programs from general wellness counseling and weight management, to a new smoking cessation program. All can be coupled with attractive incentive programs, discounts or rewards to encourage employee engagement.
Considerable research suggests that an investment in employee wellness and health promotion has the potential for significant payoffs.
- The U.S. spends seventy-five percent of health care dollars on diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles.1
- Ninety-one percent of all diabetes cases, 80-90% of all heart attacks and 30-70% of all cancers are completely preventable through lifestyle changes.2 Diabetes costs the United States $98 billion per year.3 The estimated overall cost of cancer in 2004 was $189.8 billion.4 In 2005, it was estimated that the cost of heart disease and stroke in the U.S. would exceed $394 billion.5
- Physical inactivity, and being overweight or obese are associated with 23% of health plan charges and 27% of national health care charges.6 Sixty-four percent of adults in America age 20 and older are overweight. In the year 2000 alone, estimates for the total cost of obesity in the U.S. were $117 billion.7 Nine out of ten men and seven out of ten women will eventually become overweight.8
- A well-known longitudinal research project, the Framingham Health Study, found that people who had moderate to high levels of physical activity lived 1.3 to 3.7 years longer than those who got little exercise, largely because they put off developing heart disease.9
"This strong evidence suggests that staying healthy has benefits for both employers and consumers," said Meg McCabe, head of the Aetna Medical Product Business Unit. "Programs that promote health can impact worker wellness and productivity, including presenteeism, and can reduce employer costs related to health benefit claims, sick leave, absenteeism, disability and worker’s compensation. In addition, improving one’s health has both immediate and longer term quality of life benefits for members, since good health is one of the most important assets we can take into our retirement years."
Aetna’s 2007 wellness offerings cover four main categories:
- Wellness Outreach, which includes the Aetna Healthy Body, Healthy Weight Program® for weight management, a new smoking cessation program, Wellness Counseling and the Informed Health® Line, our 24-hour nurse information line.
- Online Self Help Tools, including Simple Steps To A Healthier Life®, Aetna InteliHealth®, the Healthwise® Knowledgebase and Women’s Health Online.
- Workplace Programs & mailings including onsite health screenings offered at the workplace (available in October 2006); health education workshops and health awareness campaigns; employee mailings focused on preventive care guidelines and ways to communicate better with doctors and other health care professionals; expanded workplace educational CD-ROM offering that focuses on women’s, men’s and children’s health; and prepackaged electronic communications that plan sponsors can send to employees to address general health and wellness topics (available in English and Spanish).
- Benefits, Discounts and Rewards including expanded healthy lifestyle incentives, such as discounts and savings on health, wellness and weight loss products and services. This includes discounts to e.Diets, and to the new Weight Management Discount Program that offers savings on the Jenny Craig program and products, as well as our Fitness Program that offers discounts on select fitness club memberships and home exercise equipment through GlobalFit.
Availability of Aetna’s Wellness programs may vary based on the plan sponsor’s medical plan(s) and funding arrangements.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 29.9 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com.
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