Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Big majority of employees in state health plan take deal: their current information in return for breaks on out-of-pocket costs

A program that promotes preventive health care and wellness initiatives has been embraced by Kentucky state employees who chose the Living Well health insurance plan.

The plan is called the Living Well Promise and was created in a partnership between Humana Inc. and the Kentucky Employees' Health Plan because 80 percent of the plan's health-care costs are going for treatment of chronic diseases. KEHP serves approximately 290,000 state employees, according to a Humana press release.

This year, 235,000 KEHP members, 81 percent of the total, signed up for the Living Well Promise, in which they agree to complete an online health assessment by May 1 and to keep the information current. They also get access to a comprehensive wellness and rewards program, a savings program for healthier foods at Walmart and access to health coaches. Pregnant women, transplant patients and people with weight loss and other medical conditions get nursing support.

“Those who committed to the promise will receive lower coinsurance, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums,” Joe Cowles, commissioner of the state Department of Employee Insurance, said in the release. “Employees will also have an in-depth view of their health and medical history through the health assessment. The assessment also provides a greater understanding of their risks and opportunities to take action to get and stay healthy.”

The program was a finalist in this year's Healthiest Employer's Award program, hosted by Louisville Business First.

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