HealthPartners wellness program receives highest recognition

Program helps reduce medical claims and increase productivity

April 3, 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - HealthPartners received platinum recognition, the highest level, at the 2009 Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards Gala. URAC, an independent healthcare accrediting organization, presented the awards to recognize innovative leadership and successful programs in consumer-focused healthcare management.

HealthPartners was one of only two organizations that received Platinum recognition at the awards gala, which was held April 1-2 in Orlando, Fla. HealthPartners received the award for "Improving Employee Health Through Behavior Change: A Case Study." HealthPartners and a local employer worked together to promote, in a cost-effective manner, healthy lifestyles and chronic condition management through positive behavior change.

Participants experienced an increase in healthy lifestyle behaviors, prevented or minimized development of chronic illness, and were empowered to take charge of their health. During the first four years of the initiative, the employer saw a positive return on its investment of three to one, through a reduction in average medical claims. The also saw a significant increase in workplace productivity of six to one and had a claim savings of $1.8 million.

"We are excited that we were honored with platinum recognition for this case study. The case study represents a best practices approach in the health management industry and it shows how well these programs work," said Nico Pronk, Ph.D., HealthPartners vice president for health management and JourneyWell health science officer.

Seventy submissions were evaluated for the awards. URAC's Best Practices Awards were created to extend the organization's educational mission by shining a spotlight on proven best practices within the health care management industry.

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About JourneyWell JourneyWell, a business unit of HealthPartners, offers health and wellness solutions for employers and health plans to help manage the health of an entire population, one individual at a time. After 15 years of successful evidence-based, results-driven health and wellness program innovation and many successful partnerships, HealthPartners created JourneyWell to extend the reach of its services direct to employers nationwide.

About HealthPartners
Founded in 1957, the HealthPartners family of healthcare companies serves more than one million medical and dental health plan members nationwide. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community. For the third year in a row, HealthPartners is rated one of the best commercial health plans in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, NCQA's "America's Best Health Plans 2007".

Contact: 952-883-7410