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Potential Unmanaged Medical Costs

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Kerry O'Neill
410.902.5035
koneill@mghus.com  

National Workplace Health Screenings Reveal More than $42.4 Million in Potential Unmanaged Medical Costs

Results lead Meritain Health to add health improvement program - Meritain Health for Life^SM - into health plan administration for new clients

Buffalo, NY (May 29, 2008) - Meritain Health today revealed the results of its 2007 biometric screening assessment, which identified more than $42.4 million total potential unmanaged medical costs and nearly 100,000 days of potential lost productivity among a sample population of more than 10,000 members across the country. As a result of these findings, the nation's largest independent provider of services for self-funded and wellness plans announced a new program, Meritain Health for Life^SM, which includes the health improvement program built into the health plan administration for new clients.

Unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles are the most prevalent factors driving increases in employers' and employees' health benefit and healthcare costs. In fact, according to a 2006 study conducted by Purdue University, 74 percent of American healthcare costs are due to lifestyle-related behaviors, and are therefore preventable.

"Health screenings should be a part of every company's health plan in order to provide early intervention and prevent future medical conditions, which contribute to the burden of rising healthcare costs for both employers and employees," said Janice Rahm, Senior Vice President, Product and Service Innovation for Meritain Health. "At Meritain Health, we believe that in order to successfully control healthcare costs, today's employers need fully integrated, total population management solutions within their health benefits. They should include customized plan designs and a strong focus on education and prevention. Our profound belief in creating member awareness and promoting healthy lifestyles led us to the decision to include health screenings as part of our health plan administration for all new Meritain Health clients."

This year's assessment reports the aggregate results from more than 10,000 employees within 63 client employer groups throughout the United States. Of the sample population, 52.6 percent were female, 47.4 percent were male and 61.5 percent were over the age of 40. Notable findings include:

• 61.5 percent of the sample population were over the age of 40 and are at risk for common conditions such as colon cancer, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure;
• 37.3 percent were overweight, which can lead to diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol;
• 2,066 participants appeared to have blocked arteries and 44.3 percent had high cholesterol;
• 16.1 percent were diagnosed with newly discovered risk factors;
• 2.1 percent of population diagnosed with serious conditions that required immediate medical attention;
• Of the total participants, 4,293 had untreated medical conditions;
• An estimated 10 percent of every workday is unproductive due to untreated conditions, implying that on average, 48 minutes of every untreated employee's workday is unproductive;
• Of those identified with behavioral health conditions, the majority suffered from anxiety and depression, which can lead to the potential of 39,750 days of lost productivity.

The screenings are critical in recognizing risk factors that can lead to chronic disease among employer health plan members and serve to evaluate participants' overall health and untreated medical conditions. The findings were used to project annual medical costs and lost productivity.

In 2006, Meritain Health conducted the same clinical health risk assessment for nearly 4,000 members, included in this year's assessment to evaluate progress. Highlighted findings of participants from 2006-2007 include:

• 64.9 percent of those who had high cholesterol saw improvements;
• 65.1 percent of those who had low HDL cholesterol saw improvements;
• 74.1 percent of those who had high LDL cholesterol saw improvements.

Download the full study.

About Meritain Health for Life

Meritain Health for Life is an employee health improvement program that helps save lives and money. Meritain Health will cover the cost of baseline health screenings for new clients in 2008. To capitalize on the impact, employers offer incentives to employees for participating in the program. In the first year, these screenings will uncover significant opportunities for cost savings and productivity improvements. Integrated within an employer's health plan, Meritain Health for Life includes three components: Discovery, Education and Health Coaching.

Discovery: Employees participate in worksite evaluations to discover their personal health risks and conditions. The evaluations include blood chemistry profiles consisting of more than 35 tests to detect such conditions and risks as diabetes, kidney disease and high cholesterol. The program also provides a health risk assessment and blood pressure screening.

Education: Participants have confidential online access to the results of their evaluations. They also receive e-mails and can access online information specifically targeting their risks and conditions.

Health Coaching: Participants may consult with masters-level health coaches to learn to control and manage their conditions and make lasting, healthy lifestyle changes.

About Meritain Health
Meritain Health is the nation's largest independent provider of services for self-funded health plans. Meritain Health serves over 1,700 self-funded clients and over a million members nationally. The company provides plan administration, innovative wellness, medical management, disease management, network management, and cost management services. Meritain Health is also a pioneer and now the leading independent provider of Consumer-Directed Health Plans. Meritain Health employs over 1,350 people, with headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y., and regional offices in 30 cities across the country.

For more information, download the Meritain Health for Life brochure or contact us today by calling 1.800.242.6226.