David C White

In business one needs to soar

Question: Did I just hear that the SHOP requirement under the Affordable Care Act was delayed? If so, until when? And what does this mean for certain states where the exchanges are ready to operate? Answer: It is true. The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that full implementation of the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) component of the state-based health insurance exchanges created by the ACA will be delayed until 2015. States that are e...stablishing their own exchanges will be allowed to move forward with a 2014 effective day or delay implementation of their SHOPs until 2015. If you are a small employer and planned to offer health coverage to your employees through the SHOP Exchange, you should determine whether you will offer your employees coverage through the transition rule for 2014. Additional agency guidance is expected to clarify how and when this decision must be made. Director Lujuan of Covered California (California's Exchange name) has promised that "our State Exchanges WILL BE OPEN ON TIME" - much more in late May and June.

Ohio State recently set a goal of becoming the healthiest university in the world Extracted from an article in the Columbus Dispatch April 14, 2010 It’s about creating happier, healthier people, said Dan Vukmer, chief executive officer of OSU’s health plan, which serves 58,000 faculty, staff and their spouses, domestic partners and children. To try to reach its goal, Ohio State offers employees a $360 credit on their health-insurance plan if they do a biometric screening a...nd fill out a questionnaire about their health and lifestyle choices (spouses and domestic partners can earn a $100 debit card). The university awards gift cards and other rewards to employees who earn points by doing activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator 10 times. It has coaches to help people lose weight, start exercising or quit smoking and coordinators to help them manage chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease. And to improve health elsewhere, Ohio State is hosting a national summit on April 22 and 23 in which more than 90 colleges from across the country will come together to share their best ideas. It’s about empowering the faculty and staff to do things that are good for their health and wellness rather than telling them what they do wrong, said Andraea AJ Douglass, vice president of human resources at Ohio State. There is also a faculty and staff fitness program, where paying members can undergo a cardiac stress test to create a personalized workout program to meet their needs. And throughout campus, OSU faculty and staff members use ball chairs to improve their posture and treadmill computer stations where they can work and walk at the same time. Many departments also hold meetings while standing or walking. It feels good to get up and raise your heart rate with a little exercise instead of sitting all day, said Jackie Min, a graduate outreach coordinator for the nursing college who says she walks on the treadmill station at least twice a morning while checking her email. Although Ohio State had been on a good trajectory, it lagged what many businesses had been doing, said Bernadette Melnyk, who was hired in 2011 as dean of the College of Nursing and as the university’s chief wellness officer a position no other public college has. She challenged Ohio State to become the healthiest university because anything less would be too easy and began working with leaders across Ohio State to start changing the way people think about their health. Campus officials will measure the school’s progress by tracking whether more people do the biometric screening and personal health assessments and show improvement in their physical and mental health. They also will monitor whether employees use less medication or go to the doctor less often. And they’ll look at whether the university’s health-care costs and worker compensation claims go down.

From an article in the Nashville Business Journal April 4, 2013 Employee wellness programs are a large push under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as employers look to control costs. The idea has gotten increased attention in recent weeks, following CVS Caremark's announcement that it would fine employees receiving company-sponsored health insurance plans $600 for not partaking in a "wellness review." Other companies around the country are also enacting similar policies. Among all U.S. employers reducing health care or insurance premium costs was the No. 1 reason (out of ten options) cited for pursuing an employee wellness program. Improving worker productivity was No. 2. Among European employers, reducing health care or insurance premium costs was the last reason cited.

The University of Colorado will pay its employees up to $300 per year to exercise for at least 30 minutes, 12 times a month, as part of its "Move" program. University officials say they expect the program to have a big return on investment because it targets obesity and physical inactivity, which are the main drivers of health care spending. Daily Camera (Boulder, Colo.)