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Blues Unveil Health Care Plan
That Rewards Healthy Living 09/30/06
Every day you look for ways to foster a healthier workforce
while applying the brakes to rising health care costs.
Blue
Care Network of Michigan has what may well be an answer. It
comes in the form of a health care product available Oct.
1 that rewards people for adopting healthy lifestyles while
saving employers an average of 10 percent in premiums. The
new product, Healthy Blue LivingSM, encourages
employees and their spouses to take charge of their health
with support from their primary care physicians and BCN. In
exchange for lower copayments and deductibles, people commit
to healthy lifestyles. Because participation in Healthy Blue
Living is entirely voluntary, members who choose to do nothing
will pay higher copays and deductibles. For their part, employers
that agree to purchase Healthy Blue Living and promote a healthier
workplace receive premium savings over current BCN offerings
and the potential for lower long-term program costs.
"Healthy Blue Living meets a marketplace demand for a product
that conforms to the proposition that if you take better care
of your health, you will pay less in health care coverage,"
said Kevin Seitz, BCN president and CEO. "Blue Care Network
and its employer groups and affiliated physicians will partner
together with members to optimize health outcomes and reduce
health care costs.
"Healthy Blue Living is a brand new, innovative and cost-effective
product that is a win-win for both employers and their employees."
The first health care plan of its type created by the Blues,
Healthy Blue Living is designed to reward members who adopt
and maintain healthier lifestyles while providing opportunities
for improvement to those who don't. The plan's foundation
is an active, three-way partnership between BCN, providers
and customer groups supported by financial incentives, education
and support.
Plan
subscribers are evaluated against target scores in six aspects
of overall health:
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Alcohol use
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Blood pressure
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Cholesterol
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Blood sugar
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Smoking status
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Weight
After
a subscriber's evaluation with a BCN primary care physician,
he or she then receives a score based on health status in
the six categories and a clear direction to follow toward
healthy improvement in partnership with the physician.
Call
your sales representative or BCBSM-contracted agent to learn
more about this exciting new product.
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