Brand & Flame

Aetna launched Aetna Healthy Actions, a suite of rewards, discounts and incentive programs designed to motivate members to participate in health and wellness programs offered by Aetna. The program rewards members for participating in a range of Aetna programs and services including completing basic health-related tasks such as seeking routine preventive care, completing a health assessment and completing certain activities in the Personal Health Record.

“Employers are looking for new and effective ways to encourage behaviors that will help employees maintain their health and better manage their illnesses and diseases,” said Charles M. Cutler, MD, MS. Chief Medical Director, Aetna National Accounts. “Research suggests that investing in employee wellness and health promotion has the potential for significant payoffs for employers. As a result, incentive programs have become an important part of a plan sponsor’s wellness strategy, as they strive to help their employees initiate and maintain healthy behaviors.”

Aetna Healthy Actions expands the portfolio of health and wellness programs within the Aetna Health Connections family of medical management programs and services. The enhanced wellness and incentive programs provide information, personal support and discounts to encourage members to understand and engage in achieving or maintaining their optimal health. Aetna’s 2007 wellness offerings cover four main categories: wellness outreach, online self help tools, workplace programs & mailings, and incentives, discounts, and rewards now offered through Aetna Healthy Actions. Programs introduced with Aetna Healthy Actions include:

Incentives for Completing Health-Related Tasks

There are several incentive options available to plan sponsors to offer their employees who complete certain health-related tasks. Plan sponsors can offer credits to an employee’s Aetna HealthFund HRA fund, HSA account, health incentive credit account, which is used to satisfy a member’s deductible or coinsurance, or they can award gift checks, gift certificates, prizes, and tokens (e.g., gym bags, pedometers, water bottles, pens, etc.) to members who complete health-related activities. Aetna also recently developed a program with GiftCertificates.com to offer customers the Aetna negotiated discounts on gift certificates for restaurants, clothing, books and other retail items. Examples of health-related activities include:

• Completing a Simple Steps To A Healthier Life health assessment
• Completing a Simple Steps To A Healthier Life Healthy Living Program (e.g., alcohol awareness, healthy heart and stress relief)
• Receiving routine preventive care
• Participating in the “RN Engagement” level of Aetna’s disease management program
• Enrolling in Aetna’s maternity management program
• Completing the introductory tour of the Personal Health Record

Enhanced Benefits

Aetna also offers plan sponsors the ability to offer enhanced benefits for certain medical conditions or health situations. For example:

• Employers can waive the deductible for preventive medications for members enrolled in an Aetna HealthFund HRA or HSA plan.
• Employers can waive the deductible for chronic medications for members enrolled in an Aetna HealthFund HRA plan.

Existing Programs to Join Aetna Healthy Actions Program

Aetna currently offers many consumer-oriented programs designed to encourage healthy behaviors. These programs, which will now be part of the Aetna Healthy Actions Program, include the Aetna Healthy Living Visa Credit Card and a variety of discount programs.

Members who use the Aetna Healthy Living Visa credit card for health and wellness purchases earn bonus reward points that they can redeem for discounted health and wellness items, statement credits to pay out-of-pocket health care expenses, or cash that can be deposited into their HSA account.

The discount programs help members save on a wide assortment of health-related products and services, including oral health, wellness, weight management, vision, hearing, fitness, and natural products and services. This includes access to the new Weight Management Discount Program that offers savings on the Jenny Craig programs and products. Aetna also offers discounts to e.Diets, and provides a fitness program that offers discounts on select fitness club memberships and home exercise equipment through GlobalFit™.

Availability of Aetna’s Wellness programs may vary based on the plan sponsor’s medical plan(s) and funding arrangements.