29 Mar

Employer Wellness – The Path Ahead

Posted by Health Innovation Blog in Health Innovation. Tagged: , , , .

2013HMIS LogoThis post is the final of four posts that summarize the discussions held at the second Health Management Innovation Summit. (Past posts can be found here, here and here).  The views highlighted below were debated and concluded by a group of health management thought-leaders specializing in behavioral science, consumer engagement, clinical, incentive and benefit integration. We at the Health Innovation Blog encourage you to join the conversation and comment below.

The health management industry – after many years of stagnation – has begun to show signs of life and progress. New approaches, tools and paradigms, all designed to help individuals become more aware, engaged, and in charge of their health, are being delivered. More exciting, as an industry, we’re just getting started.

Moving forward, success in the employer wellness space will revolve around the ability to:

  • Provide the tools that help employees make educated decisions about, and become more accountable for their health
  • Help consumers feel comfortable with the choices they are making
  • Deliver a seamless experience for consumers to navigate the multitude of information and resources available to them
  • Connect value to choices for individuals in a way that resonates with them

Change isn’t going to happen overnight, but through small steps and industry-wide dedication, true behavior change can and will be realized.

19 Mar

Health Reform’s Impact on Large Employers

Posted by Health Innovation Blog in Health Innovation, Financial Health. Tagged: , , , , , , .

2013HMIS LogoThis post is the third of four posts that will summarize the discussions held at the second Health Management Innovation Summit. (Past posts can be found here and here).  The views highlighted below were debated and concluded by a group of health management thought-leaders specializing in behavioral science, consumer engagement, clinical, incentive and benefit integration. We at the Health Innovation Blog encourage you to join the conversation and comment below.

Health Reform is here to stay. How things will evolve under these new economic and regulatory forces remains open to debate. For employers, specifically self-insured organizations, the new landscape will likely change how employees purchase, consume and interact with health care and “own” their health.

What Health Reform doesn’t change is the overarching goal of any organizations’ benefits offering – attracting and retaining a highly motivated and productive workforce. Benefits, including wellness programs, are in place because organizations want to attract the top employees and take care of them. This goal makes many reform-driven changes, such as the pay or play provision, more than just a number crunching exercise.

Regarding pay or play, organizations will likely be watching what other companies are doing while being cautious with their decisions. Because of the magnitude of these choices, and with so much still unknown, it is predicted that a real market transition will likely take three to five years to happen.

With new provisions, incentives will continue to remain a core – and contentious – component of health and wellness program. The increased reward or penalty quotient permissible under the new law will allow organizations to further share (or shift) the financial burden with their employees. However, just because a greater amount of incentives can be offered, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best thing to do. For savvy organizations, there is an opportunity to balance the new regulations with their current innovations in program and incentive design.

To learn more about the PPACA provisions that apply to Wellness Incentive Design, download the RedBrick Health white paper.

11 Mar

Changing Views of Insurance, Shifting Risk, and Accountable Consumers

Posted by Health Innovation Blog in Consumer Health, Employer Health. Tagged: , , .

2013HMIS LogoThis post is the second from the discussions of the Health Management Innovation Summit. (The first post can be found here). The views highlighted below were debated and concluded by a group of health management thought-leaders specializing in behavioral science, consumer engagement, clinical, incentive and benefit integration. We at the Health Innovation Blog encourage you to join the conversation and comment below.

The role of the consumer is dramatically changing as the health care system evolves at a faster pace than ever before. As cost and risk shift from employers and health plans to providers and consumers, the notion of an accountable consumer is taking shape. Never before has an individual had as many choices – and as much responsibility. Consumer accountability can best be summed up through a three-legged stool analogy – understanding their choices, taking care of their heath and taking responsibility for their health care purchasing decisions.

In many cases consumers have complex or less than ideal choices to choose from. As is the case with any purchase, consumers of health are looking for personalization, simplicity, one-stop shopping, value and an exemplary consumer experience. While as an industry we want consumers to be accountable for their choices, until they are provided with attractive and well-framed choices, no success momentum will be generated.

Equally difficult for consumers is choosing to engage in behaviors that are the best for their health. Consumers are bombarded with commercial messages and influences that run in the opposite direction of health – witness key segments of the food industry and the modern-day barriers to fitting movement into the day, especially for our kids. To counteract these macro-level forces, healthy habits need to be simplified to ensure continual successes at the individual level.

Even with improved health, insurance vehicles are still critical, especially for unpredictable, major and catastrophic health events. As the consumer becomes more accountable in their engagement in health, the role of employers and organizations supporting their plan participants is also changing. Employers must continue to adapt and provide the guidance to help their participants navigate these changes so they can be comfortable with the increased responsibility they will be facing.

5 Mar

Scaling Behavior to the Organizational Level

Posted by Health Innovation Blog in Behavior Change, Employer Health, Health Innovation. Tagged: , , , .

2013HMIS LogoThis post is the first of four that will summarize the discussions held at the second Health Management Innovation Summit. The views highlighted below were debated and concluded by a group of health management thought-leaders specializing in behavioral science, consumer engagement, clinical, incentive and benefit integration. We at the Health Innovation Blog encourage you to join the conversation and comment below.

In an employer setting, organizations are challenged with facilitating behavior change at scale. They serve diverse populations that include tens or even hundreds of thousands of individuals at different physical locations, with different personalities, backgrounds, motivators, socioeconomic characteristics and local cultures, all at the same time.

To overcome the challenges organizations face, we must first recognize that, in general, the harder the behavior, the less likely a person is to do it. This means to change behaviors on a large-scale, we must focus on simplifying the desired behavior. To create a repeatable recipe for success, we must help a person get started, make them feel comfortable during the process and then ensure they encounter successes on their path towards better health. Creating a sense of success, no matter how small, will have a powerful impact on achieving sustained change.

Equally important in facilitating behavior change at scale is allowing participants to help each other. The influence of social on a person’s habits is undeniable. Savvy organizations shouldn’t discount the idea of bringing like-minded people together to help support each other. While social engagement is not a mandatory, or magic ingredient for program success, for those who desire to share, providing the opportunity to easily engage socially can be a critical driver in helping individuals in their pursuit of improved health.

It’s admittedly easy to become overwhelmed, but rather than retreating to the status quo, as an industry, we must remember the same principles that apply to one, can apply to many. Designing the user experience from the perspective of the consumer will put the consumer, not an organization, at center of the program paradigm. This shift in perspective can make changing behaviors across an organization a realistic and attainable goal.

1 Mar

Harnessing the Forces Shaping Employer and Consumer Health

Posted by Health Innovation Blog in Behavior Change, Health Innovation. Tagged: , , , .

Cegielski track jacketThe world of health management continues to evolve. Consumer-centric tools and approaches are replacing traditional programs that failed to meet the needs and expectations of today’s consumers. The result is a new wave of innovations designed to engage consumers and help them shape and sustain health-improving habits.

Recently a group of behavioral science, consumer engagement, clinical, incentive and benefit integration thought-leaders convened to discuss how to further the health management industry. This gathering, the Health Management Innovation Summit, was the follow-up to the original Summit, which discussed how to approach the spiraling cost of healthcare.

The overarching theme of this year’s Summit was how to broaden employer wellness strategies, while becoming more consumer-focused and friendly. In the following weeks – we will have a series of posts to recap the conclusions from the various discussions that were debated at the Health Management Innovation Summit. I encourage you to comment on these posts – whether you agree, or if your point of view is different. There is no right or wrong answer, but as an industry we must all work together so habits can be changed and lifelong healthy habits can be sustained.

- Kurt Cegielski – Founder & SVP Employer Solutions, RedBrick Health

26 Feb

Link O’Rama – ‘Healthy’ Revenue, Soda Tax, Employee Perspective on Wellness

Posted by Health Innovation Blog in Employer Health, Personal Health. Tagged: , , , .

Smaller Waistlines Might Make Big Business

Dollar SignA report published by the Hudson Institutes Obesity Solutions Initiative lends some data to the notion that popular chain restaurants fare better when they offer consumers better fare. The report, released this month, demonstrates that healthier, lower-calorie foods and beverages were a significant growth engine for restaurant chains. Also notable: Restaurants that have maintained the status quo have seen growth and traffic decline. Download a PDF copy of the report here.

“Soda Tax” Discussion Evolves

ForkThe divisive issue of taxing high-sugar beverages is back, but this time a California-based poll revealed a new twist on the debate:  Support for using increased taxes on sugary beverages to expand school nutrition and physical activity facilities and programs. Nearly 70% of the voters polled thought it was a good idea. The Los Angeles Times tells the story – where do you stand?

We Hate to Say ‘We Told You So’

GraphEmployees’ belief in the benefits of employer-sponsored wellness programs continues to trend positive. According to this BenefitsPro.com article, more and more workers report they feel better, work harder, and appreciate workplace wellness offerings.

20 Feb

Tracking Healthier Lives

Posted by Health Innovation Blog in Behavior Change, Health Innovation. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Game mechanics – if you haven’t noticed, Game Mechanicscan be extremely effective in helping shape healthier behavior.

RedBrick Health is pleased to be mentioned in a recent Washington Post article focused on the trend of game mechanics and tracking being applied to healthy behavior. The article focuses on how self-tracking, score mechanics, rankings and competition fortifies the motivation that keeps individuals engaged in doing what’s best for their own health.

While game mechanics can add a fun and motivating component to the consumer experience, the true power of gamification is enabling people to recognize their success. From a behavior design standpoint, creating a sense of success, no matter how small it may be, has a powerful impact on achieving sustained healthy behavior patterns. When game mechanics are leveraged in this manner, their long-term healthy benefits are fully unlocked.

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