Goal
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is the designated non-profit organization that coordinates organ and tissue donation in Illinois and northwest Indiana. As one of 56 OPOs that make up the nation’s organ donation system, Gift of Hope works with 180 hospitals and serves 12 million people in its donation service area. Since 1986, its work has saved the lives of more than 23,000 organ transplant recipients and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of tissue transplant recipients. With a history of investing heavily in the health and well-being of its employees, Gift of Hope identified the strategic need to better understand health risks in the organization. Leadership recognized that High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP) are essential because being a better healthcare consumer aligns individuals' financial interests with the health plan. For individuals to consider the HDHP option, they knew they needed to provide a strong incentive.
Action Plan
Gift of Hope began providing biometric screenings in 2017, in part to drive cost savings in its medical plan. Leaders and staff worked with Assurance’s wellness team to increase program participation, incentivizing individuals by means of a premium
cost reduction.
Maintaining a strong benefits plan was a top priority for Gift of Hope. The organization recruits from the healthcare industry where benefit offerings are often extremely competitive. Gift of Hope found ways to invest in its benefits programs, expanding its wellness program and other areas like its retirement savings plan while keeping medical costs in check. This resulted in increased medical plan participation and higher overall satisfaction.
High-risk areas and chronic conditions not always identified in a claims review
Next, the team took a hands-on approach implementing biometric screenings, which provide the following insights for both the employer and employees:
Achievements
Gift of Hope’s dedication to the wellness of its employees enabled the organization to establish a more holistic health profile of its employee population. Gift of Hope was able to reduce the severity of large claims while raising awareness for participants by helping them better manage their health.
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Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network Controls Premium Increases with Wellness Program and Consumerism
Wellness Case Study
1
74%
biometric screening participation
80%
increase in screening participation since inception
282%
increase in HDHP enrollment
Aggregate health status of the overall employee population
2
Key indicators for individuals’ health and any risks they may face
3
Guidance as to how employees can take action to improve their health
4
"While we are pleased with the cost savings this program has delivered,
of far more importance is that this demonstrates evidence that our employees are healthier as a result of being more mindful of their wellness and the wellness of their families. This is truly the goal of these efforts."
- Harry Wilkins, MD, President/CEO at Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network
Gift of Hope wanted to create a culture of well-being and savvy consumerism across the organization, so it turned to Assurance for help. Empowering individuals to take a larger role in monitoring their well-being, coupled with a strong financial incentive to be better consumers of health care, would be the central focus of the strategy.
First, Gift of Hope’s Leadership Team opted to fund employees’ Health Savings Accounts (HSA) well above benchmarks to drive HDHP enrollment. They ensured the numbers were compelling so that employees would be hard-pressed to forego HDHP coverage. At the same time, they armed employees with tips and recommendations to best use their medical coverage – leveraging telemedicine, using urgent care instead of the emergency room, and applying other tactics.
3.2%
average annual cost increase over the past five renewals
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