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Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan Wins National Award for ``Best Wellness Initiative''

Posted on: Thursday, 29 November 2007, 09:00 CST

Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (MCHCP) and its Lifestyle Ladder program will be recognized in the category of "Best Wellness Initiative" at the Consumer Health World Awards ceremony Dec. 4, 2007, in Washington, D.C. The wellness program is offered to MCHCP members in partnership with Gordian Health Solutions, a national health and productivity improvement company whose customers include employers, health plans and government entities.

The Consumer Health World Awards recognize excellence and advancement in service, products and programs that enhance consumers' abilities to manage their health care expenditures and enhance health care quality. Companies, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and academic units are eligible for awards, which are judged by an independent panel of industry leaders.

MCHCP, with over 104,000 members, provides medical coverage to employees and retirees of most Missouri state agencies as well as other public entities that have joined MCHCP. The Lifestyle Ladder program, available to non-Medicare subscribers and their spouses covered under an MCHCP medical plan, is designed to improve health and educate members on the forces that can impact their health and quality of life.

"We are honored that our Lifestyle Ladder program has been recognized by the Consumer Health World Awards," said Ron Meyer, executive director of MCHCP. "The Lifestyle Ladder program has been a big success, with our members reporting positive experiences and outcomes. We hope to continue to see positive results - increased participation, healthier and happier members, and lower health care costs."

"This award underscores the excellence of MCHCP's wellness program," said Roger Reed, executive vice president of market operations at Gordian. "We at Gordian look forward to continuing our partnership with MCHCP to assist their members in adopting healthier lifestyles and reaching their health goals."

One of the key components, and the first step, of the Lifestyle Ladder program is a personal health assessment (PHA), which members complete in order to evaluate their current health status. After completing the PHA, participants can enroll in customized health coaching programs provided telephonically by Gordian. They also receive educational mailings and talk to personal health coaches interchangeably throughout the yearly program cycle for encouragement, further education, and assistance with goal setting and monitoring. To encourage a high rate of participation, MCHCP currently offers employees a $12 discount on insurance premiums each month.

Lifestyle Ladder successes to date include:

Overall risk levels improved in MCHCP's program. Year-one health risk assessment levels were 12 percent high, 57 percent moderate and 31 percent low. The second year showed an improvement with just 8 percent high, 47 percent moderate and 45 percent low.

Coaching participants set individualized short- and long-term goals, which are evaluated at program mid-point and at the end of the program cycle. MCHCP shows excellent behavior change outcomes, with 54 percent reporting goal achievement, and an additional 32 percent reporting progress toward their goals.

Because of the incentive and communications efforts, MCHCP achieved 22 percent PHA completion and 52 percent program enrollment in the first year of its program. Due to a slight incentives change for the second year, PHA completion numbers nearly doubled to 43 percent and program enrollment significantly increased to 86 percent.

For more information about the awards visit the Consumer Health World website at www.consumerhealthworld.com.

About Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan

MCHCP serves as a large group purchaser of medical, dental and vision insurance. In addition, MCHCP provides an employee assistance program (EAP) and programs for wellness and disease management. MCHCP operates under the direction of a Board of Trustees and is committed to providing quality health benefit programs through quality companies and providers. The health care plans offered through MCHCP include a wide range of coverage and ensure network providers meet specific credentialing requirements. MCHCP's mission is to purchase and offer comprehensive health insurance for state and local governments. For more information, visit www.mchcp.org. To learn more about the Lifestyle Ladder, go to www.lifestyleladder.org.

About Gordian Health Solutions, Inc.

Gordian is a leading national health and productivity improvement company that offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, such as population health risk analysis, telephonic lifestyle and chronic condition coaching, online products, health screenings, personal health assessments and incentive management services. Gordian helps employers, health plans and government entities identify, control and manage health risk factors and their associated costs through targeted and tailored programs and sophisticated informatics and reporting capabilities. For more information about Gordian, visit www.gordian-health.com.

Source: Business Wire

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