Blue Shield of California Gets Positive Results From Paying Members for Good Health

A Blue Shield of California incentives-based pilot health program showed positive results over a recent one-year period. Self-reported health risks dipped from an average of 3.3 to 2.4 per person within the group of members who earned rewards for completing their programs.

In addition, participants reported an aggregate weight loss of 5,103 pounds while 53 percent reduced their body mass index (BMI). And post-program HRA results submitted by participants earning rewards also showed significant changes from their initial scores.

Matria helped Blue Shield develop the Healthy Lifestyle Rewards program, which continues to offer cash incentives to members who adopt meaningful behavior change through WellCare's Healthy Living Programs. Forty-nine percent of participants succeeded in earning the maximum award of $200 for participating in the program for 35 weeks. Results were obtained by comparing participant variables at the beginning and end of 2004, the pilot year.

Blue Shield executives say they chose Matria because of the company's structured, six-week Healthy Living Programs, as well as a host of tools, trackers, recipes and planners that could be used by participants who wanted greater choices.

In short order, the Healthy Lifestyle Rewards pilot program was designed to provide online tools to motivate, support and reward individual adoption of low-risk health behaviors related to stress, eating, physical activity and smoking. Participants in the pilot program were required to complete a health risk assessment upon entry and another at completion. In addition to facilitating evaluation of the program, the intake Health Risk Assessment, provided by Staywell Corporation of Minnesota, also provided participants with an objective (and often denial-busting) evaluation of their current health and potential risks, and recommendations for improvement.

Next Steps
Blue Shield of California's Healthy Lifestyle Rewards pilot program is an encouraging example of how a health plan can support its members in adopting healthier behaviors. The program will continue as a pilot in 2005 while Blue Shield of California plans for broader delivery of the program in 2006. The response to the pilot from media, industry and customers has been resoundingly positive, and the program continues to attract interest. In fact, Blue Shield of California accommodated some of this interest by delivering the HLR program ahead of schedule to a handful of excited customers who wanted the program right away.

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