As I let everyone know the other day, UnitedHealth Group has just announced that 24 groups in Pennsylvania are winners of 2010 UnitedHealth HEROES grants. HEROES grants are awarded to student and youth organizations for developing programs that get friends, classmates and community members moving toward a healthier lifestyle.
So many youth organizations across the state proposed thoughtful, creative programs that we awarded more grants in Pennsylvania than we originally planned, 24 in all.
I want to do a little bragging now and tell you a little bit about all of this year’s winning projects. Whether you read a sampling of these projects or plow through the entire list, I think you’ll share my sense of pride in the youth of Pennsylvania. There are truly some innovative programs on the list, all of which propose creative ideas for fighting childhood obesity that can be easily implemented in their schools and communities.
Here goes:
• Sixth Grade students at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Levittown, who will photograph “unhealthy signals” in their community such as fast food restaurants and the placement of junk food in grocery store aisles for a display and presentation to local parents, school boards and legislators.
• High school students from the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI) Youthworks Program in Philadelphia who will transform an abandoned plot of land into a community orchard and amphitheater that will provide a common green space and public source of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Students in Alvernia University's Wellness Core Physical Education 304 class in Reading, who will study the factors that contribute to obesity and organize a health fair and field day to promote healthy lifestyles for children in their community.
• Lawrence County Social Services, Inc. in Newcastle, which will help students enrolled in the local VOTECH high school become wellness mentors to low-income preschoolers, develop a newsletter and design programs to encourage parent involvement.
• The Urban Nutrition Initiative Philadelphia, which will purchase mortars and pestles for middle school students to explore different herbs and spices and learn about healthy methods to enhance the taste and aroma of food.
• Camp Fire USA Adahi Council Mohnton, which will help students in Southeastern Pennsylvania educate their community about healthy lifestyles through informational flyers, newsletter articles, exhibits and demonstrations.
• Students in grades 3-5 at Claysville Elementary School, who will create a “Healthy Living” informational DVD focused on the three main areas of “Healthy Snacks,” “Healthy Habits,” and “Healthy Activities” and distribute it to classmates, community members and local media outlets.
• YMCA of York County, which will host two programs, “Look Who’s Cooking” and “Teen Iron Chef,” to teach elementary and middle school students about how to prepare healthy meals.
• Middle school students at El Centro in Gettysburg, who will start a program to educate younger children on healthy lifestyles that includes several projects, such nutritional programs with computerized tracking, Zumba classes, a healthy cookbook and an activity day.
• Students at the Wayne County YMCA who will work together to compile a book of recipes and group games that promote a healthy lifestyle.
• Connoquenessing Valley Elementary School students in Seneca Valley, who will start a youth mentoring program to encourage healthy habits, respectful relationships and caring hearts.
• The Boys and Girls Club of Easton, which will hold after-school events for low-income youth, ages 5-19 featuring healthy snacks, physical activities, guest lecturers and opportunities to join dance and fitness classes.
• The Elise Joseph Foundation in Philadelphia and the Christian Fellowship Center of Philadelphia, which will partner with Taylor’s Wholesome Foods Workshop, L.L.C. and the Haitian community to start a hands-on nutritional cooking class.
• The Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program for children of migrant workers in Downingtown, which will provide obesity prevention and proper nutrition workshops for students in a Saturday education series culminating in a field trip to the BODIE WORLDS 2 exhibit where students will learn about the effects of obesity and disease on human organs.
• Woodland Hills Junior High in Pittsburgh, where a group of obese teenage girls will learn about making healthy choices and incorporating a fun activity into their daily routine by participating in a dance class and, after learning various popular dances, organize and instruct their own exercise class at a community center.
• The Mon Valley YMCA in Monongahela, which will host weekly meetings for volunteer members to discuss how to inspire local kids to lead healthy lives, connect with community leaders, incorporate physical fitness activities and culminate in a community-wide Healthy Kids Day event.
• The Allegheny Valley YMCA in Natrona Heights, which will start a “Youth Strength Training” program to help young people struggling to overcome inactivity through a mentor exercise program that features a circuit of weightlifting, body sculpting, cardiovascular exercise and nutritional classes.
• PartnerSHIP For a Healthy Community in Erie, which will partner with a local martial arts/fitness studio to offer rigorous exercise classes to students two days a week along with personal exercise and nutritional charts to help keep track of progress.
• The Brookville YMCA, which will host a special triathlon for kids ages 5-15 in April 2010 after a series of training sessions at the YMCA to help youth participants prepare for the race.
• The Child Health Project at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia, which will develop a program that address wellness, safe physical activity and healthy eating while respecting children’s and families' cultural values and traditions.
• Philadelphia Youth Action, Inc., which will implement the "Healthy Choice/Healthy You" project to engage students age 8 – 18 in identifying the factors that contribute to childhood obesity and provide the resources they need to learn about healthy eating choices.
• Students in the “SMT Reaches for Wellness” project at St. Martin of Tours School in Philadelphia who will plan and lead demonstrations and activities at various school-wide events, including a Dance-a-thon, Family Soup Night and a community Health and Wellness Day Fair.
• Students on the Holy Trinity High Flyers Jump Rope Team in Ligonier, who will show their friends, classmates and parents how to jump rope and have fun while exercising in a demonstration at the local YMCA.
• The City of York, which will host a three-part nutritional series for local children in which a nutritionist will lead discussions about the participants’ favorite foods, demonstrate how to incorporate them into healthy meals and compile the recipes into a healthy eating cookbook.
If you want to find out more about the Health HEROES program, visit http://www.ysa.org/.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
We couldn’t decide which deserving HEROES to fund so we supported them all.
We just completed the process of evaluating applications for 2010 Health HEROES grants, which are cash awards that UnitedHealthcare gives to schools and youth-focused, community center-based programs that demonstrate a clear understanding of the health risks associated with childhood obesity and propose creative solutions that can be easily implemented in their schools and communities.
It was a very uplifting process because the many exciting projects reminded me of how many creative kids and great organizations for kids that there are in our great state. We were thrilled to see that though UnitedHealth HEROES is only in its second year, we had a significant increase in grant applications for 2010.
But it also presented us with a very tough decision on which projects to fund—we were selecting from 24 finalists, a bit more than we had budgeted for.
But all the programs asking for funding seemed to offer importat contributions to addressing childhood obesity on a grass roots level. We wanted to make sure that whether it involves slicing and dicing, digging and planting or grinding and spicing, that all these Health HEROES throughout Pennsylvania will have the tools they need to lead the fight against childhood obesity.
So we decided to fund all 24 programs!
UnitedHealth HEROES is a service-learning, health literacy initiative designed to encourage young people, working through educators and youth leaders, to create and implement local hands-on programs to address the issue of childhood obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 30 percent of young people are obese, which means they are at an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and numerous other life-altering health conditions.
Each year, the UnitedHealth HEROES program awards grants to schools and youth-focused, community center-based programs that demonstrate a clear understanding of the health risks associated with childhood obesity and propose creative solutions that can be easily implemented in their schools and communities. Youth Service America administers our UnitedHealth HEROES program.
It was a very uplifting process because the many exciting projects reminded me of how many creative kids and great organizations for kids that there are in our great state. We were thrilled to see that though UnitedHealth HEROES is only in its second year, we had a significant increase in grant applications for 2010.
But it also presented us with a very tough decision on which projects to fund—we were selecting from 24 finalists, a bit more than we had budgeted for.
But all the programs asking for funding seemed to offer importat contributions to addressing childhood obesity on a grass roots level. We wanted to make sure that whether it involves slicing and dicing, digging and planting or grinding and spicing, that all these Health HEROES throughout Pennsylvania will have the tools they need to lead the fight against childhood obesity.
So we decided to fund all 24 programs!
UnitedHealth HEROES is a service-learning, health literacy initiative designed to encourage young people, working through educators and youth leaders, to create and implement local hands-on programs to address the issue of childhood obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 30 percent of young people are obese, which means they are at an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and numerous other life-altering health conditions.
Each year, the UnitedHealth HEROES program awards grants to schools and youth-focused, community center-based programs that demonstrate a clear understanding of the health risks associated with childhood obesity and propose creative solutions that can be easily implemented in their schools and communities. Youth Service America administers our UnitedHealth HEROES program.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Healthcare change will continue in the marketplace no matter what happens to the current legislation.
When I first started this blog, I wrote that no matter what happens with health care reform legislation that there would be changes driven by the marketplace. We can already see that happening.
For example, we have been working with the American Hospital Association to facilitate more timely communication between hospitals, insurers and physicians.
Timely communication helps to make sure that all clinical and administrative resources are activated as quickly as possible for the patient. For example, quickly engaging the patient’s primary care physician can go a long way in ensuring a fully coordinated treatment plan is activated in real time. Clinical teams have more time to put effective case and disease management programs in place for the patient.
The most important element of timely communication is notification by the hospital to the insurer that a patient has been admitted to its facility. It has long been a standard practice across the industry for insurers to require notification when a member is admitted to the hospital. The exact requirements differ based on the particular process of each insurer, but many programs require notification of hospital admissions and typically impose reimbursement adjustments if notification is not provided.
Our notification program facilitates timely communication so that we can quickly connect all parts of the health care system on behalf of patients. All it takes is a simple fax, phone, portal or online submission to notify the insurance carrier of a patient admission.
Our goal is to have real time 24/7 communication with hospitals. It’s not our intent for a single hospital to receive a reimbursement adjustment. Timely communication simply puts more focus and attention on patient care.
The employers with whom we have discussed our notification program understand it because they see that the sooner we can engage all the resources the patient needs, the more efficient care will be.
So what has happened is that insurers and health care systems are working together to become more efficient and to improve patient care, both of which drive down the cost of health care. It’s market-driven health care reform.
For example, we have been working with the American Hospital Association to facilitate more timely communication between hospitals, insurers and physicians.
Timely communication helps to make sure that all clinical and administrative resources are activated as quickly as possible for the patient. For example, quickly engaging the patient’s primary care physician can go a long way in ensuring a fully coordinated treatment plan is activated in real time. Clinical teams have more time to put effective case and disease management programs in place for the patient.
The most important element of timely communication is notification by the hospital to the insurer that a patient has been admitted to its facility. It has long been a standard practice across the industry for insurers to require notification when a member is admitted to the hospital. The exact requirements differ based on the particular process of each insurer, but many programs require notification of hospital admissions and typically impose reimbursement adjustments if notification is not provided.
Our notification program facilitates timely communication so that we can quickly connect all parts of the health care system on behalf of patients. All it takes is a simple fax, phone, portal or online submission to notify the insurance carrier of a patient admission.
Our goal is to have real time 24/7 communication with hospitals. It’s not our intent for a single hospital to receive a reimbursement adjustment. Timely communication simply puts more focus and attention on patient care.
The employers with whom we have discussed our notification program understand it because they see that the sooner we can engage all the resources the patient needs, the more efficient care will be.
So what has happened is that insurers and health care systems are working together to become more efficient and to improve patient care, both of which drive down the cost of health care. It’s market-driven health care reform.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Why I’m so excited about Penn State Hershey Medical Center joining the UnitedHealthcare network of medical providers.
I’m still psyched about UnitedHealthcare adding Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center to our network and here’s why. The Medical Center employs more than 650 physicians and 1,800 nurses as part of a team of more than 8,500 people who provide patient care, education, research and community outreach.
The Medical Center campus includes Penn State College of Medicine (Penn State’s medical school), Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, and Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital—the region’s only children’s hospital. The Medical Center campus is part of Penn State Hershey Health System, which also includes the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital, and other specialty facilities.
Founded in 1963 through a gift from The Milton S. Hershey Foundation, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is one of the leading teaching and research hospitals in the country. The 484-bed Medical Center is a provider of high-level, patient-focused medical care. Annually the Medical Center admits nearly 27,000 patients, accepts more than 800,000 outpatient visits, receives more than 50,000 patients for emergency room visits and performs more than 23,000 surgical procedures.
I urge people to check out all the great medical programs at HMC by visiting the website at pennstatehershey.org.
The Medical Center campus includes Penn State College of Medicine (Penn State’s medical school), Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, and Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital—the region’s only children’s hospital. The Medical Center campus is part of Penn State Hershey Health System, which also includes the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital, and other specialty facilities.
Founded in 1963 through a gift from The Milton S. Hershey Foundation, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is one of the leading teaching and research hospitals in the country. The 484-bed Medical Center is a provider of high-level, patient-focused medical care. Annually the Medical Center admits nearly 27,000 patients, accepts more than 800,000 outpatient visits, receives more than 50,000 patients for emergency room visits and performs more than 23,000 surgical procedures.
I urge people to check out all the great medical programs at HMC by visiting the website at pennstatehershey.org.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Some great news for residents of central Pennsylvania! Hershey Medical Center joins the UnitedHealthcare network.
I’ve got some really great news for the more than one million people living in Pennsylvania who get their health insurance through UnitedHealthcare, especially for folks living in the central part of the state.
UnitedHealthcare has added Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and its hospital system to UnitedHealthcare’s network of health care providers. As many of you know, Penn State Hershey has a national reputation and is considered one of the premier medical institutions in Pennsylvania.
UnitedHealthcare health plan participants now have access to in-network care at Hershey Medical Center and all Penn State Hershey facilities. Before, UHC members who wanted to use HMC or a Penn State Hershey facility had to go out of network, which means that their health plan did not cover all the costs. What a great advantage for our central Pennsylvania and other members to be able to use the physicians, staff and technology without having to worry about any additional payments beyond their share of premiums and copays.
The addition of Penn State Hershey expands UnitedHealthcare’s provider network to more than 23,000 physicians and 185 hospital facilities statewide. Like most health insurance companies, UnitedHealthcare is committed to growing our network of health care facilities to ensure our customers have local, in-network access to a wide variety of quality doctors and other health care professionals.
UnitedHealthcare has added Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and its hospital system to UnitedHealthcare’s network of health care providers. As many of you know, Penn State Hershey has a national reputation and is considered one of the premier medical institutions in Pennsylvania.
UnitedHealthcare health plan participants now have access to in-network care at Hershey Medical Center and all Penn State Hershey facilities. Before, UHC members who wanted to use HMC or a Penn State Hershey facility had to go out of network, which means that their health plan did not cover all the costs. What a great advantage for our central Pennsylvania and other members to be able to use the physicians, staff and technology without having to worry about any additional payments beyond their share of premiums and copays.
The addition of Penn State Hershey expands UnitedHealthcare’s provider network to more than 23,000 physicians and 185 hospital facilities statewide. Like most health insurance companies, UnitedHealthcare is committed to growing our network of health care facilities to ensure our customers have local, in-network access to a wide variety of quality doctors and other health care professionals.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Health savings accounts are growing and health care reform probably won’t change that.
I recently read a study by Aon Consulting that shows once again how quickly the health savings accounts (HSA)-high-deductible model is growing as an alternative to traditional health plans. I’ve blogged about HSAs before, but as a reminder, an HSA enables employees to pay directly for their share of health care costs such deductibles, co-pays or other medial costs with pretax dollars, but can only be used in conjunction with a high-deductible plan. HSAs have only been around since 2004, when a federal law first allowed consumers to open HSA accounts.
Aon studied all consumer-directed health (CDH) plans. CDH plans allow routine claims to be paid from a consumer-controlled account, giving consumers greater control over their health budgets. Having payment responsibility encourages consumers to better understand the actual cost of their health care.
The Aon survey reveals that for the first time since health savings accounts (HSA) were made available in 2004, they have become the choice of more than half of the employers offering consumer-driven health (CDH) plans. Aon found that in 2009, 56 percent of all employers offering CDH plans paired them with HSAs, compared to a little less than 50 percent in the prior three years.
By contrast, only 35 percent of the employers opted for health reimbursement arrangements (HRA) in 2009, down from 44 percent three years ago. An HRA allows an employer to pay employees’ medical expenses with pretax dollars, however the employee does not have control over the account. Like HSAs, employers can only offer HRAs in conjunction with high deductible health insurance policies.
According to the Aon study, 44 percent of those surveyed currently offer CDH plans, up from 28 percent three years ago. These plan designs can be attractive to employers, especially for small businesses, because of lower insurance premiums.
I expect more employers will begin offering HSA plans as individuals become better health care consumers and play a more active role in how their health care is delivered and paid.
Aon studied all consumer-directed health (CDH) plans. CDH plans allow routine claims to be paid from a consumer-controlled account, giving consumers greater control over their health budgets. Having payment responsibility encourages consumers to better understand the actual cost of their health care.
The Aon survey reveals that for the first time since health savings accounts (HSA) were made available in 2004, they have become the choice of more than half of the employers offering consumer-driven health (CDH) plans. Aon found that in 2009, 56 percent of all employers offering CDH plans paired them with HSAs, compared to a little less than 50 percent in the prior three years.
By contrast, only 35 percent of the employers opted for health reimbursement arrangements (HRA) in 2009, down from 44 percent three years ago. An HRA allows an employer to pay employees’ medical expenses with pretax dollars, however the employee does not have control over the account. Like HSAs, employers can only offer HRAs in conjunction with high deductible health insurance policies.
According to the Aon study, 44 percent of those surveyed currently offer CDH plans, up from 28 percent three years ago. These plan designs can be attractive to employers, especially for small businesses, because of lower insurance premiums.
I expect more employers will begin offering HSA plans as individuals become better health care consumers and play a more active role in how their health care is delivered and paid.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Have you improved your health or the health of others? A Villanova Wildcat fan? Tell us your story!
Some Villanova Wildcat basketball fans are going to score big when they make a fast break to a healthier lifestyle or assist others in doing so.
UnitedHealthcare and Villanova University have teamed up to recognize people who have improved their health or the health of others in their family, community or work place. An "All-Star of the Game" will be selected based on submissions throughout the 2010 Villanova Wildcat basketball season.
UnitedHealthcare encourages "All-Stars" to submit their stories of improving their own health or the health of those around them. The Jay Wright radio show will announce the winners, each of whom will receive a $100 gift card to The University Shop and have a chance to win the grand prize of a $200 gift card to The University Shop, a basketball autographed by Jay Wright, and four tickets to the West Virginia-Villanova game on March 6, 2010.
Our All-Star program is an opportunity to put a spotlight on some of the great things people are doing to improve their health and the health of others in the community. This program really gets to the heart of everything that is important in health care today and is a visual demonstration of UnitedHealthcare’s commitment to help people live healthier lives.
Submit stories and get more details about UnitedHealthcare’s All-Star of the Game program at: www.uhctogether.com/nova
UnitedHealthcare and Villanova University have teamed up to recognize people who have improved their health or the health of others in their family, community or work place. An "All-Star of the Game" will be selected based on submissions throughout the 2010 Villanova Wildcat basketball season.
UnitedHealthcare encourages "All-Stars" to submit their stories of improving their own health or the health of those around them. The Jay Wright radio show will announce the winners, each of whom will receive a $100 gift card to The University Shop and have a chance to win the grand prize of a $200 gift card to The University Shop, a basketball autographed by Jay Wright, and four tickets to the West Virginia-Villanova game on March 6, 2010.
Our All-Star program is an opportunity to put a spotlight on some of the great things people are doing to improve their health and the health of others in the community. This program really gets to the heart of everything that is important in health care today and is a visual demonstration of UnitedHealthcare’s commitment to help people live healthier lives.
Submit stories and get more details about UnitedHealthcare’s All-Star of the Game program at: www.uhctogether.com/nova
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