Healthy Employees =Happy EmployeesDistrict starts wellness initiative

source: August 2006 issue of North East Notes Employee Newsletter

Wellness In North East (WIN)

BACKGROUND

Prior Year Benefit changes help mitigate increases in claim costs.

This allowed no increase in health premiums or benefit changes for 2007-08.

Mercer Survey of 1,557 companies expect Health Insurance costs to rise nearly 9% on average in 2008. Most companies plan on benefits changes so that the actual increase is expected to be just 6.7% for 2008.

To help control future cost, NEISD Health Plan will continue to focus on Prevention and Wellness.

Wellness In North East (WIN)

BACKGROUND continued August 2006 the District started a wellness

initiative for employees. A Wellness committee was established and met

several times last year. Committee named the initiative “Wellness in

North East” (WIN). One of the goals that came out of the

committee was to gather, evaluate and provide data to determine baseline indicators to improve wellness.

Wellness In North East (WIN)

ACTION Employee Benefits collaborated with Health Services to

put this Onsite Wellness RFP together. This fall the Influenza inoculation will be administered. In the spring the screenings that will be offered are

Cholesterol (HDL,LDL and Triglycerides), Glucose, Blood Pressure, BMI (Body Mass Index), and HRA (Health Risk Assessment).

The Cholesterol and Glucose will be done by Veni-puncture instead of a finger prick to provide more accurate and detailed results which the employee can provide to their physician.

Wellness In North East (WIN)

ACTION continued The vendor will provide a detailed report to the

employee. Only summary data will be provided to the

District. The vendor will schedule each event with each

location during work hours. Vendor requires 50 participants per location.

Some locations will be clustered based on participation.

Wellness In North East (WIN)

EXPECTED RESULTS Vendors estimate for a first time event, the

participation rate would be 30 to 40%. We will only pay for those employees that

participate. Industry surveys have shown that every dollar

spent on wellness will generate an equal if not more savings in our Health Plan in addition to the goodwill.

Increase in employee and student attendance.