Take Care of Your Health

USAA

Purpose:

USAA employees and dependents

Target Population:

USAA employees and dependents

Program Goals:

• Enhance the health and productivity of its workforce through an integrated wellness program
• Embed wellness into USAA's culture by creating an environment that promotes health and wellness

Years in Operation:

2002 – present

Results:

• Overall wellness program participation increased to 68.5 percent companywide in 2005• Forty-five percent of current active employees have completed at least one health-risk assessment.
• Program participants have experienced statistically significant decreases in weight, smoking rates, and health-risk factors.
• Participants have seen statistically significant increases in worksite productivity.
• Workers' compensation has seen reductions of 3 percent in frequency, 8 percent in rate, and 24 percent in severity, with 427 days of potential-gained productivity.
• Workplace absences have decreased, with an estimated three-year savings of more than $105 million.
• USAA's medical plan cost trend (5.6 percent in 2005) continues to outperform the national average.

Funding:

The program is funded by USAA.

Key Partners:

USAA Wellness Council

What Works and Why:

The  program offers employees financial incentives — up to $350 per year — to help with wellness-related expenses, defined to include weight management and smoking cessation programs, as well as purchasing certain gym equipment. Barriers to participation are reduced by, for example, minimal membership costs to onsite fitness centers and free onsite screenings and online risk assessment tools. The program is data-driven, with comprehensive reporting and evaluation reaching the family, as well as the employee. Evaluation incorporates data from medical claims, absences, disability and workers’ compensation claims. Communications are organized    around clear, simple messages and support program components at multiple levels, e.g., “don’t smoke” message is underpinned by a campus-wide smoking ban, health-risk assessment and messaging, and individual coaching programs.

Structure and Operations:

USAA's program provides an integrated wellness program that encompasses more than 20 unique wellness initiatives and activities, ranging from onsite fitness centers and healthy food choices in cafeterias to integrated disability management and health-risk assessments. USAA's wellness program instituted a cross-company team of partners and stakeholders, including fitness, food services, corporate safety and corporate communications. This team, referred to as the "USAA Wellness Council," meets regularly to strategize, plan and review program results. A customized data warehouse pulls together the full spectrum of employee health and wellness information by capturing demographic information, population health consumption data, health and wellness participation data, and intervention outcomes. Data analysis provides ongoing opportunities to fine-tune all wellness initiatives and benefits programs in order to continue improving the health of employees and their families.

Barriers to Success:

Continued ability to sustain program funding through accrued savings from disease management/wellness initiatives.

More Information:

http://healthproject.stanford.edu/koop/2006winnerindex.htm

Download:

Download this program information in PDF format.