Delaware's Health Program Cited As "Innovation"

Delaware Health Program Cited As "Innovation"

Lake Tahoe, Calif. - Governor Ruth Ann Minner Monday accepted a Council of State Governments "Innovations Award" for an original program designed to make state employees fitter and healthier.

Delaware's Health Rewards program educates and encourages state employees to take a proactive approach to their health decisions with the ultimate goals of improving health outcomes for the employees and reducing the costs of health claims of state employees. Health Rewards began as a pilot program in 2003 and was expanded to include 3,000 state employees in July 2004.

"This program is yet another tool we are using to make our employees healthier and to get our health costs down," Gov. Minner said. "The assessments of individual employees have put all of them on a path to better health and, for a few, have diagnosed critical medical situations immediately and may well have saved their lives. There is no other program like it in any other state government, so this is yet another way Delaware is leading the country."

Under the program, state employees who volunteer to participate can get a comprehensive health assessment, feedback and physician referrals when appropriate, as well as a fitness prescription to improve short-term and long-term health outcomes. The assessment involves a health history questionnaire, a baseline and exercise EKG, a blood pressure test, blood work to measure total cholesterol, lipids, and glucose levels, a smokerlyzer to test carbon monoxide levels, body composition measurements, and strength testing, including lower back assessment.

Follow-up "fit stops" are provided for employees to reassess and/or improve their test results. Delaware will use the results of the program to help determine future changes in employees' monthly health insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles, and general health insurance coverage options.

Gov. Minner accepted the award while attending CSG's spring conference in California. Gov. Minner is currently serving a term as president of the national organization for state executive, legislative and judicial branch officials. The CSG's winter meeting this year will be held in Wilmington in December.

http://www.state.de.us/governor/060605%20-%20gov%20accepts%20innovation%20award.shtml#TopOfPage