Past Initiatives

Taking Control of Your Health (2007 - 2013)
This program began as a grant in 2007 under the Diabetes Ten-City Challenge. It has now grown into a self-sustaining diabetes management program. This program is stilll promoted to MBGH employer members in support of their efforts to reduce the unnecessary costs associated with managing chronic conditions. The program was originally modeled after the Asheville Project, but was expanded to include
a “mutual accountability” model where the employer determines the rules employees must adhere to in order to receive incentives of waived or reduced co-pays, free supplies, or other valued incentives. The program includes meeting face-to-face with a qualified pharmacist coach at least four times a year so that coaches can teach participants the skills necessary to monitor their condition and improve their health.   Learn more about TCOYH


The TCOYH program is run in collaboration with the Illinois Pharmacist Association (IPhA) and is running through MBGH’s purchasing affiliate, the Midwest Health Purchasers Foundation (MHPF).


Value-Based Benefit Design Research Series (2006 - 2010)
This MBGH project included multiple studies over a four year period between 2006 and 2010. In 2006 - 2007, a national landmark benchmarking survey was conducted on the readiness of employers to adopt value-based benefit design.  In 2008, MBGH conducted a series of employee focus groups to determine the employees' perspective on value-based- benefits, wellness programs and the use of incentives.  In 2010, another series of focus groups were conducted with employees across the nation to better understanding the triggers and barriers that impact health, health care decisions, behavior change and engagement in employer-sponsored health benefits and wellness programs. 

The full results can be downloaded in the white paper Determing the Triggers and Barriers to Engagement

Click here to find out more about this initiative

 

Physicians Views on Worksite Health Programs (2010)
In 2010, MBGH conducted a national survey of physician views on employers’ health management programs to better understand and improve the effectiveness of employer-based health improvement and management program
.  Previous MBGH research had found that physicians are a highly trusted adviser and have a great influence on a patient's decision to participate in employer-sponsored health management programs. This survey results indicating that 72% of doctors surveyed agree that employers should play a role in the health of their employees with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
 
For a summary of key survey findings, click on the full press release (March 2010)

Preventive Benefits Survey (2010)

Employers are increasingly investing resources in preventive care and wellness programs in the expectation that they will find reduced costs and increased productivity. Through this research survey, MBGH determined the extent that respondent employers are adopting approaches that support the use of preventive screenings, vaccinations, and the education of preventive care benefits and programs.

The survey findings are timely as the White House announced the Affordable Care Act on September 23, 2010 and requires new insurance plans to provide preventive care without cost-sharing. While this will remove financial barriers for many Americans to preventive services such as mammograms, colonoscopies and immunizations – employers are working to determine the impact on their benefits plans and health care expenses.

Key employer recommendation include the following: (1) Focus on prevention through awareness and education campaigns to encourage employees to stay healthy and help reduce health care costs for unnecessary illnesses; (2) Employers should focus on education and communication to ensure employees take advantage of current employer preventive services; (3) Remove access barriers to employer program and services; and (4) Better align incentives to encourage employees to actively take care of their health.

View the entire list of recommendations in the full press release (August 2010)

Atlanta-Chicago Health & Performance Initiative (2005)
This project was targeted to help employers understand the importance of accounting for the total cost of employee health. MBGH partnered with Harvard Medical School, Georgia Health Care Leadership Council, and the Institute for Health and Productivity Management (IHPM) in a three-year Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research project. 

Participating employers were able to collect data on health and productivity, using the HPQ-Select Questionnaire without making a financial investment and leverage the expertise of Harvard and DataStat (the survey administrators) in order to improve the cost-effectiveness of health care benefits programs. Each participating employer received  individual survey results that quantified the effects of health problems on lost productivity and consultation on how to prioritize and evaluate interventions, policies, and benefit plan designs.