Network Health Plan launches small group wellness program

Small businesses and their employees can now be rewarded for healthy lifestyles through Wellness Pathways

July 9, 2010

Menasha, WI - Network Health Plan is launching its first-ever small group wellness plan, called Wellness Pathways, to allow groups with 2-50 employees to benefit from the improved health outcomes and dollars saved that wellness programs achieve.

Beginning with plans that went into effect on July 1, 2010, Wellness Pathways will financially reward businesses when their employees reach five out of seven wellness criteria.

"We have seen a great deal of success with Millennium, our wellness program for large groups, and we feel it's important to also offer our small group employers a wellness program that's simple and effective," said Sheila Jenkins, president of Network Health Plan. "Participants in our wellness programs achieve healthier lifestyles and they have saved health care dollars. We think that wellness and prevention plays a crucial role in the future health status of our participants, and because of recent wellness legislation from the state of Wisconsin, expansion of wellness incentives to small employer groups is now possible."

Network Health Plan provides a tool-kit for employers to promote wellness in ways that are most appropriate for the group and the employment setting.

"It's important for the businesses themselves to be in control of Wellness Pathways because each workplace is different," said Jenkins. "The program allows employers to control the message, the programming and the rewards. We provide businesses with the materials, resources, website and funding of the rewards, but our businesses decide, based on their climates, how to best use Wellness Pathways. Our program lets the businesses and the employees benefit directly."

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Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley's third-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and has been nationally listed for two years in a row among the top 50 hospitals for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare; 2009, 2010). For eight consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation; Affinity ranks no. 29 in the 2009 report. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier/CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It has been nationally ranked in the Top 50 Health Insurance Plans for five consecutive years in the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 26 family practice and specialty clinics, including two fully operational Medical Home models, in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.