Biometrics-based Incentives: Proceed with Caution
Don’t be surprised if your clients are talking about biometrics. As one of the latest buzzwords in the industry, “biometrics” is a hot topic among purchasers looking to reduce costs – at any cost. The bottom line, however, is that employers interested in implementing biometrics-based incentive programs should proceed with caution.
In summary, biometric screenings assess an individual’s health status by measuring a variety of health indicators. Typical tests include height, weight, body fat content, body mass index and blood pressure. A blood draw may also be done to measure glucose, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL) and triglycerides. Based on the results of these tests, some employers are offering incentives to employees in the form of lower premiums, reduced deductibles or other financial rewards. Employees who meet certain biometric levels receive these incentives, while employees who don’t meet the defined biometric levels are not offered financial rewards and could even incur surcharges.
While this concept seems like a straight-forward approach, there are important factors your clients should consider:
- Margin of error: Each test conducted may have a margin of error that could impact an individual’s ability to qualify for the incentive. The margin of error on biometric screenings can be a result of several factors, including the process used to conduct the test, the quality of the equipment, the individual’s body composition, what they are wearing or even their activity prior to the test. For example, establishing a diagnosis of high blood pressure requires multiple elevated blood pressure readings. Taking only one reading may flag an individual whose blood pressure is elevated simply from the anxiety of the test. Similarly, cholesterol levels might be high due to eating high-fat foods prior to the test. In light of those examples, consider the potential margin of error for the following tests:
- Body mass index (+/-) 3-5% - Total cholesterol (+/-) 9%
- HDL cholesterol (+/-) 13% - LDL cholesterol (+/-) 12%
- Triglycerides (+/-) 15% - Glucose (+/-) 11%
- Federal and State Regulations: Federal and State Regulations: Any wellness program should be designed in consideration of Federal Regulations, including HIPAA nondiscrimination regulations, ADA laws and State regulations. According to a recent article published by Watson Wyatt, “The supplemental benefit provision in the HIPAA regulation is somewhat vague and therefore open to interpretation. And some wellness programs are HIPAA-compliant and may help employees improve their health and help employers reduce their costs. But the penalties for violating HIPAA are severe, so employers that are considering an insured wellness policy should consult with legal counsel first. Violations of HIPAA carry a steep price tag, which may include a government audit, excise taxes, litigation, bad employee relations and bad publicity.”
So what should you counsel your clients to do? First, help your clients weigh the pros and cons of biometrics-based incentives. Second, investigate alternative approaches that incent employees to actually participate in wellness programs. One great participation-based alternative is HealthPartners Healthy Benefits program.
Healthy Benefits helps employees achieve better health, while their employers achieve a healthier bottom line. This program leverages benefit design to incent employees to complete a Health Assessment and participate in a follow-up wellness program. Easy to implement and administer, Healthy Benefits appeals to and engages employees at any health level – and has average participation rates of over 70 percent. Best of all – it’s available at no additional charge to your fully insured clients.
To learn more about the HealthPartners health improvement programs, please contact your HealthPartners Sales Executive.
HEADLINES
Corporate Influenza Prevention Project- There’s still time!
You may already know that catching the flu means doctor visits and lost workdays for employees and increased health care costs and lost productivity for employers. What you may not know is that there is still time to set up on-site flu shot clinics! HealthPartners Corporate Influenza Prevention Project offers an easy way to stop the flu before it hits your clients and their employees. And, we’ll deliver! We’ll work with your clients to schedule a visit that works best for them.
For your HealthPartners members and their covered dependents, the flu shot is a covered benefit. We can also work with you to provide flu shots or employees who are not covered by HealthPartners.
Your clients can register for this program online at healthpartners.com/employer and complete the online Flu Shot Registration Form.
To learn more please contact your HealthPartners Sales Executive.
HealthPartners Helps Launch Minnesota Health Information Exchange
When it comes to health care innovation, HealthPartners is a known leader. On September 10, HealthPartners took that one step further by partnering with the state of Minnesota and other large health care organizations to unveil the Minnesota Health Information Exchange initiative.
As one of the largest “e-initiatives” in the nation, this new, integrated electronic initiative will connect doctors, hospitals and clinics across health care systems in real-time, enabling quick access to patient medical records during a medical emergency or for scheduled routine care.
With a targeted launch date of early 2008, initial e-services will allow providers to obtain immediate patient medication histories, lab orders and test results for more than 3 million Minnesotans.
The Minnesota Health Information Exchange is another example of HealthPartners leadership in making health care safer, more effective and more affordable. The system is expected to increase efficiency among health care providers and reduce administrative costs.
Learn more about the Minnesota Health Information Exchange.
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan – Online Certification
Don’t forget that if you’re selling Medicare, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires annual training and certification. The good news is that it’s easy to get certified for the HealthPartners® Classic and HealthPartners® Freedom individual Medicare health plans. In fact, we get you certified right online. Our training program will be available in late October at healthpartners.com and should take you less than 30 minutes to complete. We’re also continuing to offer optional classroom Medicare training. Visit the Broker Education section to find a training session that’s convenient for you.
The classroom training is optional and if you attend, you will still be required to complete the 2008 Medicare online certification.
Classroom training will include:
- Medicare and Part D overviews
- An overview of HealthPartners 2008 products
- Q & A with HealthPartners’ Individual & Medicare Account Executives
Please register for classroom training by October 1, 2007. If you have questions before the training, or need directions, please feel free to contact your HealthPartners Sales Executive.
To ensure there is no delay in your 2008 commissions, HealthPartners must have your completed Medicare certification forms before we generate your January 2008 commissions.
HealthPartners Named Model for Quality and Efficiency
According to a new federal report, the list of national health plans that best promote quality and efficiency is short – very short. In fact, only HealthPartners and Kaiser Permanente are even on that list. That means that when it comes to health plans, HealthPartners goes the extra mile to provide high-quality care and coverage at an affordable cost to purchasers and members.
The National Business Coalition on Health released the “eValue8™ Cornerstone Report,” which concluded that “Two of the health plans that consistently get the highest eValue8 scores each year are HealthPartners and Kaiser Permanente.” In the report, HealthPartners President and CEO Mary Brainerd said information technology is one example of how health plans can provide better value.
“We find that our patients like the fact that electronic health information helps them get lab test results quickly and allows them to keep track of their health care issues,” Brainerd said. “When patients have the choice of being able to access and use health care information in person, on the phone or online, they want to have the choice just as they do in every other aspect of their lives.”
About the Four Cornerstones
The Cornerstone Report is the first-ever comparison of America’s health plans in providing physician and hospital quality and price information. It is part of a commitment by U.S. employers and the federal government to promote transparency and the adoption of information technology by implementing Four Cornerstones:
- Health Information Technology – Using technology to share medical records securely.
- Reporting on Quality – Public reporting on the performance of doctors, hospitals and other providers.
- Reporting on Prices – Public reporting about the prices and costs of medical services.
- Incentives for Quality and Value – Providing incentives for quality and value in health services.
HealthPartners was among Minnesota businesses that signed support for the initiative in March. The Cornerstone Report can be found at http://www.nbch.org/
Our Frequent Fitness program continues to grow. With more than 230 clubs, your clients are one step closer to better health. New clubs as of October 1, 2007, include
- Anytime Fitness – Wabasha, Minn.
- Workout 24/7 – Goodhue, Minn.
- Workout 24/7 – Pine Island, Minn.
- Workout 24/7 – Wanamingo, Minn.
- White Bear Racquet & Swim – White Bear Lake, Minn.
Learn more about Frequent Fitness.
Network Updates
As our client base and membership continues to expand, so does our network. In fact, we’ve recently added a large number of providers – especially in North Dakota. We’re committed to providing access to the providers your clients demand – nationwide. No matter where your clients live, work or travel, we’ve got them covered. Recent additions include:
Medical – North Dakota
Mountrail County Health Center – Stanley
St. Andrew’s Clinic – Bottineau
Tioga Clinic – Tioga
Trinity Community Clinic – Kenmare, New Town, Parshall, Velva, Westhope
Trinity Community Clinic – Minot (East, West, Medical Arts, Town & Country)
Trinity Community Clinic – Williston (Western Dakota)
Medical – Minnesota
Caledonia Clinic – Caledonia
Houston Clinic – Houston
La Crescent Clinic – La Crescent
Medical – Iowa
Waukon Clinic – Waukon
Medical – Wisconsin
Arcadia Clinic – Arcadia
Franciscan Skemp Healthcare - Family Health Clinic – La Crosse
Franciscan Skemp Healthcare – La Crosse
Galesville Clinic – Galesville
Holmen Clinic – Holmen
Lake Tomah Clinic – Tomah
Onalaska Clinic – Onalaska
Prairie du Chien Clinic – Prairie du Chien
Sparta Clinic – Sparta
Dental – Minnesota
Assure Dental – Albertville
Assure Dental – Blaine
Centennial Lakes Dental Group – Edina
Champlin Family Dental, PA – Champlin
Downtown Dental Care of Duluth – Duluth
Joel R. Duray, DDS, LLC – St. Cloud
Robert M. Grimm, DDS – St. Louis Park
Main Street Dental – New Prague
Dennis L. Nierengarten, DDS, PA – St. Cloud
Olson Dental Associates – St. Paul
Perham Family Dentistry – Perham
Gregory M. Sheehan, DDS – St. Paul
Drs. Stamp and Congdon – St. Cloud
Try out our new search function so see just how easy it is to find a network provider quickly and simply. Provider Search.
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