PORTLAND, Ore. – Employers looking for innovative ways of improving employee health and productivity, while keeping costs in check, are finding an appealing solution in a new offering from Regence Health Insurance Services. Regence 360MeSM is a comprehensive suite of products designed to help employers create a culture of health in their workplaces. And rather than forcing employers to adapt themselves to a one-size-fits-all product, Regence 360Me meets employers where they are in terms of wellness program engagement, budget and program evolution.

“Worker health, and its associated expense, is a serious business issue for companies today and integrating workforce strategies for health into the corporate culture is a critical part of the solution, said Michael Cochran, Regence director of health and productivity. “Regence 360Me – a comprehensive health and productivity offering – is designed to address this issue, with a customer-centric solution with multiple, customizable approaches and a laser-like focus on measurement and evaluation.”

“With Regence 360Me, we want to change the conversation from just looking at the cost of health care to considering the total value of health and productivity, and to assist employers with maintaining their most valuable asset – their employees,” Cochran said.

Regence 360Me features a dynamic mix of both online resources and “feet-on-the-street” support. Examples include:

  • Health and wellness tools: Up to 36 online wellness workshops, food and exercise logs, biometric trackers, exercise and meal plans, decision-making tools and the Healthwise® Knowledgebase online health encyclopedia and decision-support tool.
  • General Health Assessment (GHA): An easy-to-use tool that enables employees to learn about their current state of health by taking a confidential NCQA-certified assessment at regence.com. Upon completion of the health assessment, a risk advisor provides a detailed view into risk factors and recommends workshops specifically designed to address those issues. When performed, biometrics can be automatically uploaded into the assessment. 
  • Device integration: Seamless integration of certain wearable fitness devices.
  • Mobile app: A smartphone tool offering a suite of engagement tools for employees, including an exercise log, steps log, weight log, food log, challenges, incentives and messaging.
  • Health coaching: Certified Regence health coaches who assist employees with behavior change techniques in the areas of tobacco cessation, nutrition, exercise, weight loss and sleep management. Coaches also use a module that is integrated with the web portal which allows them to assist employees with navigating the online resources, increasing engagement.
  • Wellness consulting: Regence consultants who collaborate with clients to develop comprehensive health and productivity roadmaps, incorporating proven ideas for leadership support, effective communications and branding, creative incentive programs, ongoing program offerings, and establishing measures of success.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Comprehensive, timely and relevant reporting supported by analytic solutions provide clients with actionable recommendations that can establish cost-effective targeted interventions, and the means to measure program outcomes.

Numerous recent studies have proven that keeping employees healthy instead of waiting to treat them when they’re ill is less costly and is a business imperative. A 2012 study from the Health Enhancement Research Organization reports the indirect cost of poor employee health and behaviors can be 2-3 times the cost of direct medical/pharmacy expenses. And the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions suggests those expenses will continue to climb by 5.8 percent per year through 2022 – outpacing gross domestic product (GDP), average wages and productivity gains.

Employers alarmed by those facts have found encouragement in another 2012 study that revealed 50 percent of an individual’s health is determined by their behaviors, which can be directly impacted by a comprehensive wellness program. According to risk management and human resource consulting firm Towers Watson, 70 percent of companies are attempting to develop a workplace culture where employees are encouraged to take a more active role in, and be more responsible for, their own health and well-being.

“Regence 360Me is a bold, holistic set of solutions for employers in the Northwest and Intermountain West who want to simultaneously drive measurable improvement in employee health and productivity, while – over time – bending back their health care cost curve. It’s an easy and adaptable prescription that employers with 100 or more employees can take to encourage healthy employee behavior and its resulting benefits of greater engagement, motivation and productivity at home and at work,” said Dr. Richard Popiel, Executive Vice President, Health Care Services and Chief Medical Officer for Regence. 

NOTE TO EDITORS/REPORTERS: Additional information on Regence 360Me is available at our press kit microsite. Materials include a topical whitepaper, introductory video, infographic, brochure and photos.

About Regence

Regence serves nearly two million members through Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (select counties in Washington). Each health plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com.