Nationwide Better Health first company to integrate health and productivity
services to meet employers' and employees' specific needs
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationwide Mutual Insurance
Company today announced the launch of Nationwide Better Health(SM).
Nationwide Better Health is the first company to bring together and truly
integrate the best collection of health and productivity services that work
together, or independently, to meet a wide range of employers' and
employees' health and absence management needs. These services are
integrated in a unique way to help employers take a holistic approach to
their employees' health care needs and reduce their rising health care
costs.
"We bring a comprehensive approach to employees' health and
well-being," said Nationwide Better Health President Holly Snyder. "We
provide employers with integrated services for a wide range of health care
needs to improve both the health and well-being of their employees and the
financial health of their companies. It's a simple truth that healthier
employees are not only more productive but less costly to insure."
Nationwide Better Health offers a unique grouping of offerings under
two main categories:
- Better For Life(SM): disease, medical (case and utilization) and
maternity management, and health promotion
- Better For Work(SM): absence, leave and disability management
Nationwide Better Health introduces the industry's only "high touch"
integrated disease and disability management offering. Unlike traditional
disease and disability management programs that operate in silos,
Nationwide Better Health breaks down the barriers between these programs
and makes them work together.
The key to this offering is the ability of Nationwide Better Health to
intervene at the disability claim intake process. The program identifies
individual needs and provides the best means to support behavior change by
providing these individuals with the tools and information they need to
return to work quicker and make better health decisions.
A team of nurses, physicians, Ph.D.'s and other experts work together
to make sure the right employees are in the right programs at the right
time -- these professionals emphasize disease prevention, early detection,
education and accountability. A dedicated health coach then provides
employees with personalized guidance and support, as well as access to
specialized health care services to improve and maintain their health.
The results: quicker and sustainable returns to work, reduced
absenteeism, healthier employees, and a lower likelihood of additional
health care costs. In addition, combining these offerings in one seamless
package eliminates system duplications and inefficiencies that drive up
costs, and provides employees with coordinated, personalized services.
Health care costs are rising eight to 10 percent a year and are
expected to soar to 20 percent of America's gross domestic product by 2020.
As the population ages, the average retirement age is predicted to reach
the mid-70s by the next decade, driving employer health care costs even
higher. These scenarios underscore employers' urgent needs to achieve cost
control.
Nationwide Better Health was formed by combining the expertise and
resources of GatesMcDonald(R), a leader in absence and disability
management, and FutureHealth(R), a leader in disease, population health and
medical management. Both companies now operate under the Nationwide Better
Health brand name. Nationwide Better Health also provides employers access
to additional ancillary products (supplemental health benefits and
financial offerings) from its parent company, Nationwide, along with
services from key strategic partners to bring the best package of health
and productivity offerings available today.
Nationwide Better Health (through its ownership of GatesMcDonald and
FutureHealth) has documented measurable results in its program's efforts to
reduce costs. Studies of employee participants demonstrate a substantial
rate of compliance with their physician's treatment plans (asthma - 95
percent, cardiovascular disease - 91 percent and diabetes - 91 percent),
which has a measurable impact on employee health and productivity.
Achieving compliance, particularly with lifestyle changes necessary to halt
the progression of these chronic diseases, is a difficult challenge and a
major problem for many patients. With these kinds of successes, we've
reduced average disability durations based on national guidelines by an
additional 10-25 percent and have achieved significant medical cost savings
for employers.
Nationwide Better Health, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with an
office location in Hunt Valley, Maryland, is already working with some of
the nation's leading companies and millions of their employees. The
offering is backed by the reach and power of Nationwide, one of the largest
diversified insurance and financial companies in the world.
The formation of Nationwide Better Health is central to Nationwide's
commitment to be a force in the fast-growing, multi-billion dollar health
and productivity market and supports the company's commitment to helping
people protect and manage their most important assets, including their
health.
About Nationwide Better Health
Nationwide Better Health provides a better approach to helping
employers plan their health and absence management programs more
effectively, reduce health care costs and increase productivity.
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified
insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than
$157 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #98 on the Fortune 100 list. The
company provides a full range of insurance, financial and health management
services. The Nationwide companies include the country's seventh-largest
property/casualty, the fourth-largest homeowners, the sixth-largest auto
insurance group, and the country's largest farm owners' insurer. Nationwide
Life Insurance Company, the major subsidiary of Nationwide Financial, ranks
11th in assets according to A.M. Best. For more information, visit
http://www.nationwide.com/betterhealth or call 866-404-NWBH (6924).
The Nationwide framework and On Your Side are federally registered
service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Nationwide Better
Health is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
Contacts:
Terri Wearsch (614) 249-5755
wearsct@nationwide.com
Eric Hardgrove (614) 677-8516
hardgre@nationwide.com
SOURCE Nationwide
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Related links:
http://www.nationwidefinancial.com
http://www.nationwide.com/betterhealth
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/607050.html/
CONTACT:
Terri Wearsch, +1-614-249-5755, or
wearsct@nationwide.com, or Eric Hardgrove, +1-614-677-8516, or
hardgre@nationwide.com, both of Nationwide
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