Aetna members more likely to engage in programs to reduce health risk

Aetna today announced results from a set of analyses of members with access to integrated benefits compared to control groups without integrated benefits. The most significant finding from the studies showed members with integrated benefits were more likely to take a health risk assessment and enroll in wellness and disease management programs. These programs contributed to healthier behavior and improved health risk.“When we have a more complete picture of our members and all the benefits available to them, we can have a much greater impact on their health outcomes and on their overall willingness to engage in their health care,” said Laurie Brubaker, head of Health and Productivity Solutions for Aetna. “By integrating a suite of benefits we are able to offer a more holistic solution to a member and their specific health care needs. These analyses indicate our members are seeing those connections and taking steps to be more active in protecting and improving their health.”Aetna OneSM Enhanced/Aetna Integrated Health Solution® (IHS)The Aetna One Enhanced/IHS integrated bundle includes Aetna Medical and Disability products, Pharmacy, Aetna’s Simple Steps to a Healthier Life® health risk assessment and Aetna’s Wellness Management Program, Aetna Disease Management Programs and Aetna’s Med Psych Behavioral Health Management Program.The IHS program encourages members to take the Simple Steps health risk assessment, which includes questions on work limitations and productivity based on health and emotional conditions. If the member’s scores indicate a concern or risk, one-on-one wellness counseling enables both Aetna and the member to understand the multiple conditions that may impact the member’s health. These members can then address these conditions holistically through other Aetna programs, often before they involve costly acute-care services.The analysis1 showed IHS members are more engaged in health care planning and are more productive than members of the control group. Specifically: * IHS members are three times more likely to complete a Health Risk Assessment (HRA); * For those members who completed a health risk assessment, 35.3 percent also participated in wellness programs; and, * A greater proportion of IHS members reported reduced absenteeism (less absence for illness/family illness) than members of the control group.In a separate analysis2 of one large Aetna customer, a considerable proportion of members with access to a full suite of integrated benefits who initially had above normal blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar readings no longer had those risks when they updated their health assessment (at least six months later). More than half of members eliminated high blood pressure and nearly a third eliminated high blood sugar as risk factors. These results suggest that the coordination of services under the IHS umbrella help members to improve and maintain their health status. Aetna OneSM Core/ Integrated Health and Disability (IHD)Aetna One Core/IHD links medical and disability case management allowing for early intervention and care coordination. Aetna’s analysis3 showed members with IHD were more likely to engage in disease management programs and had more visits to their primary care providers than those without integrated benefits. In fact, IHD members were up to three times more likely to participate in disease management programs. These members also had 15 percent fewer inpatient admissions and 33 percent fewer inpatient days than the control group.“These results suggest that increased coordination of services and member engagement in managing their health condition may be the keys to decreased Short Term Disability (STD) durations and fewer complications,” said Brubaker. “Earlier Aetna studies demonstrate that STD claim durations were 3.2 days shorter with integrated health and disability benefits.” Aetna Integrated Health Solution® and Integrated Health and Disability are part of the Aetna OneSM suite of integrated health and productivity solutions. The Aetna One platform is built on an integrated process with triggers to optimize care, and improve clinical outcomes with proactive member outreach and engagement strategies. Using integrated clinical and system capabilities across products Aetna‘s clinical and service professionals work together to provide health and wellness services tailored to member needs.