New program helps lower health costs for IU employees

The IU Health Engagement Program was born out of a committee’s recommendation in 2009 in order to contain employee health care costs without sacrificing health care
quality.

The program works on the basis of incentives; if an employee and his or her covered spouse takes part in the program by completing certain health engagement activities, his or her medical plan premium will be reduced or eliminated, according to the IU Health Engagement Program website.

Divided into three phases, the program, according to the website, will be a multi-year process.

Phase one is “Know Your Numbers” and involves IU employees completing a biometric screening or ceasing use of tobacco products by completing the tobacco-free affidavit or the Quit For Life tobacco cessation program.

The biometric screening is used for employees to learn blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference.

The University has provided two resources for employees on their journey to healthier lifestyles: the Quit for Life Program and the Mind & Body Program.

Each provides a type of coaching for the employee either through phone-based or internet-based support.

However, IU employees do not receive free access to the Student Recreational Sports Center or Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building facilities on campus.

An Individual Recreational Sports Membership is $213 per year, which includes both the SRSC and HPER facilities and covers the member’s dependents younger than the age of 18.

“You can’t just look at the dollar amount,” said Director of Marketing and Sponsorship Kim Gray. “Members can walk in any group exercise without pre-registering or paying
extra.”

Lisa Thomassen is a faculty member of the psychological and brain sciences department who is using the Health Engagement Program to make healthy lifestyle changes, such as walking around campus.

But she said she has been frustrated with employees’ lack of access to campus fitness centers.

“I am pleased that I actually made the grade on this, making changes over the course of the summer and this fall semester,” Thomassen said. “I do think this will be difficult for some folks because these kinds of changes take time.”

Academic adviser Matt Colglazier is also using the Health Engagement Program to reduce his medical plan premium, but he said he thinks the University could improve with keeping employees health conscious.

“I agree the University has to control their health care costs,” Colglazier said. “But the administration could have handled this more positively by making access to the SRSC and HPER more available.”