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RedBrick's Health Earnings System Projected to Generate Five Percent Savings on Health & Productivity Costs for Welch Allyn
[December 08, 2009]

RedBrick's Health Earnings System Projected to Generate Five Percent Savings on Health & Productivity Costs for Welch Allyn


MINNEAPOLIS --(Business Wire)-- RedBrick Health, the Health EarningsSM company, today announced its client Welch Allyn, a leading medical device manufacturing company, is on track to save five percent on its total health care costs over the next five years, including lower health insurance premiums for engaged employees, using RedBrick's Health Earnings System.



Since 2008, Welch Allyn has leveraged RedBrick Health to manage its health and wellness initiatives instead of using services provided by the company's traditional employee health insurance plans.

Engagement Levels Among the nearly 1,500 Welch Allyn employees eligible for RedBrick Health: 67 percent participated in a health assessment.


67 percent participated in a health/biometric screening.

82 percent completed an online profile.

62 percent participated in health coaching and Web-based health and wellness programs.

Welch Allyn's 62 percent program engagement levels widely surpass industry averages of 10 percent.1 Select Program Participant Year-Over-Year Health Improvements Within this same population, there now are: 34 percent fewer participants at risk for physical inactivity (exercise at least five days a week for 30 minutes).

11 percent fewer participants with food choice/nutrition risks (eating fruits and vegetables at least five servings per day).

11 percent fewer participants with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) risks (HDL greater than 40 mg/dL).

The year-over-year health improvements at Welch Allyn translate to more than $323 per employee per year in estimated medical and productivity (PEPY) savings.2,3 All participation and health improvement data was validated through follow-up health risk assessments and biometric screenings.

Success Factors Changing Welch Allyn's health care financing paradigm by linking health financing to individual behaviors.

Providing employees multiple personalized options, paths and wellness programs driven by RedBrick Health's Web-based employee engagement engine and action-oriented Personal HealthMapsSM.

Executing comprehensive promotional campaigns and personalized outreach across numerous mediums.

Active, onsite involvement by Welch Allyn management and RedBrick Health during key events and milestones, including open enrollment, health screenings and company-wide activities such as walk-a-thons.

Testimonials and Quotes Dan Fisher, senior vice president of human resources and organization leadership for Welch Allyn"We've had many wellness programs over the past 15 years, but all of them were operated independently and through different vendors. Historically, we've also offered reduced premiums for employees taking health assessments, but never had a way to determine if our programs were really changing behavior. With RedBrick's Health Earnings System, we have a single, integrated platform that truly engages our employees on a personal level; and the health improvement results and corresponding projected cost savings are phenomenal after just one year." Dan Fisher biography.

Jim Colvin, Welch Allyn employee"RedBrick Health programs do a great job of giving you numerous, manageable options to improve your health. It's easy to engage and you don't have to do it all at once. In about a year and a half, I lost 40 pounds and 10 percent body fat. I also used to regularly see a chiropractor and no longer need to. The changes I've made are now part of my life; I feel better physically and emotionally; and I'm motivated to meet my next set of goals through RedBrick Health." Kyle Rolfing, chief executive officer for RedBrick Health"Welch Allyn gets it. They know a healthier workforce provides a productive and competitive advantage. They also know tying healthy behaviors to financing is a fair and equitable way to control costs and reward employees for engaging in their health. We look forward to working with Welch Allyn and its employees to foster even greater engagement levels and positive health improvements. When companies want to earn the change they seek in health care, reform comes quickly and is sustainable over the long-term." Kyle Rolfing biography About Welch Allyn Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, New York (USA), Welch Allyn is a leading global manufacturer of medical diagnostic equipment and a complete range of digital and connected solutions. With over 2,500 employees working in 26 different countries, Welch Allyn specializes in helping doctors, nurses, and other frontline practitioners across the globe provide the best patient care by developing innovative products, breakthrough technologies, and cutting-edge solutions that help them see more patients, detect more conditions, and improve more lives. More information about Welch Allyn and its complete line of connected products and solutions may be found at www.welchallyn.com.

About RedBrick Health RedBrick Health works with large, self-insured employers and their employees, as well as progressive health plans, to create healthier, more productive workforces. RedBrick Health provides its clients and partners a fully integrated Health EarningsSM System that replaces or turns around the performance of traditional health and wellness programs. RedBrick's Health Earnings System links individual health financing with personalized health programs and advocacy services. As a result, employers can fairly and responsibly limit their financial health liability through increased employee accountability; employees can actively engage in healthy behaviors and earn all the rewards of better health, including lower insurance premiums. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.redbrickhealth.com.

1Hewitt Associates: "The Road Ahead: Driving Productivity by Investing in Health 2008.2Pronk NP. A Guide to Building Healthy and Productive Companies. ACSM's Worksite Health Handbook. 2009;322-326.3Integrated Benefits Institute: The Business Case for Managing Health Productivity - Results from IBI's Full-Cost Benchmarking Program KEYWORDS: RedBrick Health, Welch Allyn, Health Earnings System, Wellness Programs, Health 2.0, Health Care Savings, Health Improvement Data, Health Care Reform, Health Assessments, Employee Engagement, Employee Benefits, Health Insurance, Minneapolis, Skaneateles Falls, New York, Dan Fisher, Kyle Rolfing

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