From the
Winter 2012 For Your Benefit Newsletter 
file size 1MB
Wellness is the term du jour in the health care industry and many companies have sprung up to satisfy a growing demand for these services. In 2006, wellness was a $550 million business according to a 2006 American Journal of Health Promotion study, and the journal’s editor-in-chief estimates that it has grown to over $1 billion today. Through your GIC health plan, you have access to a variety of wellness programs. With as much as 87.5% of health care costs related to an individual’s lifestyle (2006 Indiana University-Purdue University Study), improving our lifestyle choices will have a direct effect on health care costs and our own health and well being. We encourage you to take advantage of these programs.
When you think of wellness, you think of the opposite of sickness – a very good thing. But what exactly does wellness mean? Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines wellness as the quality or state of being in good health, especially as an actively sought goal. Some of these goals can include proper nutrition, controlling weight, getting exercise, not smoking, and reducing stress. A survey of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services employees found that approximately 70 cents of every health care dollar was spent to treat employees who had one or more chronic conditions. Two thirds of these chronic conditions can be attributed at least in part to one or more of three major lifestyle risk factors: physical inactivity, poor diet, and tobacco use.
See the grid below for programs by health plan. Contact Your Health Plan for Details
Wellness Programs Offered by GIC Health Plans
All health plans offer online resources for information on nutrition, weight management, fitness tips, smoking cessation and stress management. Contact your health plan for details on the below programs. Note that some of these programs are not available to Medicare members; contact the health plan for details.
| Nutrition | Weight Management and Fitness | Smoking Cessation | Stress Management | |
| Fallon Community Health Plan | Online nutritional tools | It Fits! Reimbursement of $200 per individual and $400 per family for gym memberships, health and fitness classes, sports and Weight Watchers® programs | Quit to Win health plan service area community-based group programs; telephonic counseling; and discounted nicotine replacement therapies | Discounts on relaxation and massage therapies |
| Harvard Pilgrim Health Care | Community and hospital-based nutritional classes. | 25%-50% discount for weight management programs, including diet.com, the DASH diet, Weight Watchers® and Jenny Craig | 18% discount on QuitSmart – includes guidebook, hypnosis CD, and a cigarette substitute | Community and hospital-based programs, including massage therapy, mindfulness, stress management, and relaxation techniques |
| Health New England | Virtual grocery store tour DVD | Reimbursement of up to $150 for gym memberships, personal trainer fees, school/town sports, and wellness classes as well as discounts at participating gyms | Reimbursement of $50 per participant for smoke cessation classes | Reimbursement of up to $150 per family for Pilates and yoga classes |
| Neighborhood Health Plan | Online nutritional tools | Reimbursement of $150/subscriber and up to $300/family for gym memberships | Free telephonic counseling and generic nicotine replacement therapies with a prescription | Online library and planning tools |
| Tufts Health Plan | 25% discounts for network dietician and nutritionist programs; nutritional counseling for certain medical conditions | Discounts for weight management programs including Weight Watchers® and gyms; reimbursement of up to $150 for gym memberships | 30% discount at hospital-based smoke cessation workshops | Discounts on relaxation therapies and massage therapies |
| UniCare | Online library and tracking program | Discounts for gyms in the Global Fit network, discounts for Jenny Craig and online Weight Watchers®; Online information and discounts on on-line personal coaching | Discounts on on-line personal coaching | Discounts on on-line personal coaching |
This information provided by the Group Insurance Commission.
