Supporting whole health: A+ for Schools and the School Employee Guidance Program

Whole health in action: meeting school employees where they are – at the heart of our communities.

We know that health starts in our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities. And we understand the importance of creating physical environments and social relationships that promote good health for all.

At the intersection of many of these elements are public school employees. They do it all: provide a safe and enriching learning environment, keep order on the bus, grade into the night and field traffic and parental concerns. But they’re also facing higher rates of stress, anxiety, high blood pressure and depression. A whole person approach to well-being contributes to the health not only of teachers, but to that of the whole school system.

Aetna’s A+ for Schools^SM and the School Employee Guidance Program (SEGP) are designed to help school districts address the whole health of educators. These programs can help reduce turnover and improve productivity, and are just two ways Aetna is supporting whole health for members.

“Aetna is moving away from the traditional definition that healthy equals the absence of illness, and instead thinking more broadly about all of the aspects of our life.” – Kay Mooney, Aetna Vice President of Workforce Well-being and Inclusion

Supporting educators: by the numbers

• Classroom teachers account for 2/3 of school district employees.
• Schools have a high turnover rate. 10% quit in the 1^st year, 17% by the 5^th year.
• School employees experience more depression and anxiety than other public sector employees.
• 80% of teachers surveyed reported stress related to classroom behavior management.
• Since 2014, average classroom size has nearly doubled, going from 15 to 27 students for each teacher.
• 90% of teachers would be willing to engage in a program like SEGP, and 75% would be willing to pay out of pocket.
• 30% of school employees reported using stronger than over-the-counter pain medication.

Data from Aetna survey of teachers and administrators, 2017.

Solutions we offer:

A+ for Schools

Personalized solutions for members:

The concierge service model is like GPS for employee benefits, connecting them to the right resources at the right time.

Our enhanced care management program is like having a nurse in the family.

Targeted programs that address specific needs and challenges:

Telemedicine solutions help members access convenient, cost effective care from the comfort of their homes.

Our maternity management program provides support to women during their pregnancy and even after their baby is born. Many of our K-12 plan sponsors find value in this program given that more than half of their female plan participants are under 40.

With over a million K-12 members nationwide, we can provide in-depth benchmarking and reporting that helps you monitor your plan’s performance and compare it to the performance of other K-12 plans.

School Employee Guidance Program (SEGP)

As the newest feature of A+ for Schools, SEGP uses a combination of individual and on-site group training and counseling for student behavior-related conflicts (e.g. Autism, ADD, ADHD) and is first program of its kind to offer proactive, on-site support.

• Trainers come to the school to proactively address school employee stress and anxiety.
• Members can meet with clinicians individually by phone, televideo or face to face.
• Online knowledge base and self-help tools supplement the training.
• Members receive 24/7 unlimited in-the-moment phone support.

 Learn more about SEGP. 

“Health is more than just physical health. SEGP can help people with all the other elements that make up well-being for them – emotional, financial, social, community and more…. Every individual has different needs. We join them where they are. Our resources and services help give them peace of mind so they can focus on the things that matter most to them. This results in happier, healthier and more productive employees, resulting in a stronger workforce able to deliver strong results.” – Brooke Wilson, Aetna Head of Worklife.

Where are your employees when it comes to setting whole health goals?

When we asked people about their health ambitions, over one third said they have a mental health or stress reduction goal.

• 58% Eat healthier
• 54% Increase fitness
• 40% Reduce stress
• 39% Sleep better
• 36% Improve mental health
• 19% Stop smoking

If given an extra hour in the day, more than half would spend it on personal well-being.

• 60% Mental and physical well-being activities
• 31% Reviewing daily health tracking information
• 29% Reviewing financial budgets
• 29% Speaking with partners, spouses and family about finances
• 18% Talking to doctors about health goals

And they’re turning to friends and family for support.

Nearly half of those with stress-related and mental health goals say that encouragement from friends and family would be helpful.

• 49%  Want help with stress-related goals
• 45% Want help with mental health goals

Patients look for more help from their doctors to achieve health goals.

• 89% Want information on habits that could impact health
• 87% Want help setting health goals
• 86% Want to review their mental health history
• 84% Want to talk about dealing with stress
• 77% Want to discuss levels of happiness and life satisfaction

See full Health Ambitions Survey results.

A+ for Schools^SM and the School Employee Guidance Program are offered via Aetna’s Resources For Living. A+ for Schools is a buy-up program comprised of several a la carte items. The School Employee Guidance Program is included in the A+ for Schools suite and is also available as a standalone buy-up program.