Healthy IncentivesSM: improving health and curbing costsKing County employees and spartners are doing their part to embrace healthier lifestyles and control costs, according to data compiled by the King County Health Reform Initiative. The county has curbed projected costs by $18 million since the Healthy IncentivesSM program began in 2005. Healthy IncentivesSM will continue in 2010 with enhancements that respond to employee feedback.
Results
Since Healthy IncentivesSM began in 2005, King County’s health care costs are lower than expected and employees are healthier.
Cost Savings
King County has reduced escalating health care costs by $18 million since the Health Reform Initiative began. Medical costs increases have slowed from an 11 percent growth to 9 percent growth from 2005 to 2008. Employees will contribute $37 million over 3 years to decrease costs thanks to a deal negotiated with unions.
2005 - 2008: 11%  9% = $18M avoided costs
2010 – 2012: $37 million in hard dollars from increased co-pays and co-insurance
High Employee Engagement
Employee participation rates in the wellness assessment are consistently above 90 percent. The number of people who then follow up with an individual action plan that addresses their health risks has increased from 88 percent in 2006 to 92 percent in 2008. The program also remains popular with employees and their spartners.
Year
|
Number Eligible
|
Number Completing Wellness
Assessment
|
Percent of Eligible Completing WA
|
Number Completing Individual Action Plan
|
Percent of WA Takers Completing Action Plans
|
2006
|
19,702
|
17,844
|
90.56%
|
15,703
|
88.01%
|
2007
|
19,377
|
17,772
|
91.72%
|
15,913
|
89.53%
|
2008
|
19,495
|
17,410
|
89.30%
|
16,074
|
92.37%
|
2009
|
21,085
|
18,788
|
89.11%
|
pending
|
pending
|
Healthier Employees
More employees are at lower risk for developing a chronic health condition because of unhealthy lifestyle choices. The number of people taking the wellness assessment categorized as high risk has dropped from 44 percent in 2006 to 34 percent in 2009. The number of low risk people has increased from 51 in 23006 to 60 percent in 2009. Significant health improvements have been made in 12 out of 14 health behaviors and biometrics including depression, injury prevention, mental health, nutrition, sun damage behavior, stress, BMI, cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking and alcohol use. In 2008 there was slight backsliding in progress in some areas, but momentum has picked back up in 2009 producing net positive results on 12 health indicators since the program began.
Changing behaviors: since inception of the Health Reform Initiative King County employees and their spouses/domestic partners have shown significant improvement in 12 of 14 behaviors and biometrics.
These health improvements are particularly notable given our stable employee base with an average age of 47. Without effective interventions, an aging population would expect to see decreases in health indicators year over year. King County has been successful not only in keeping the healthy people healthy, but in actually motivating positive health changes in its populations. Improvements in BMI and smoking are particularly notable as these changes are particularly difficult for individuals to make and carry proven ROI in medical claims. BMI risk for the King County population has gone down from 67.8 percent in 2006 to 65.4 percent in 2009. Smoking has dropped from 10.4 percent to 6.2 percent.
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