American Financial Group

In Partnership with UnitedHealthcare

Description | Challenge | Solution | Outcomes | Type of Organization | Size | Time | Lessons Learned | Do Differently

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Description When UnitedHealthcare customer American Financial Group learned that sedentary lifestyles and weight management were key obstacles to better health for its employees, the company got moving. With programs centered on walking and weight loss, the property and casualty insurer’s “AFGreatHealth Challenge” encouraged a commitment to healthier lifestyles.

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Challenge

When UnitedHealthcare customer American Financial Group learned that sedentary lifestyles and weight management were key obstacles to better health for its employees, the company got moving. With programs centered on walking and weight loss, the property and casualty insurer’s “AFGreatHealth Challenge” encouraged a commitment to healthier lifestyles. Going into AFG’s second year of conducting biometric screenings, the company wanted to increase participation in the screenings (55% in 2007) and provide employees with avenues which could improve their results. Utilizing the 2007 biometric screening results, the company targeted sedentary lifestyles (59%) and weight management issues (37%) as the areas that could provide the greatest health benefits and the highest ROI to AFG.

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Solution

Walking and weight were also issues easily addressed throughout the AFG organization without major logistical or cost issues as the company has employees in over 35 states. AFG partnered with WalkingSpree to provide participants with a USB enabled pedometer that uploaded steps to a company branded website where employees could track their steps and establish walking clubs. AFG also partnered with WeightWatchers for participants affected by weight management issues. Employees generally had to bear 25% of the cost of the programs with AFG subsidizing the balance. Developing a program that gave employees multiple ways to participate and that gave incentives to both healthy and unhealthy employees was also important to the company.

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Outcomes

As a result, half of AFG’s 5,500 employees participated in its walking program, and nearly 300 weight-loss program participants lost an average of 18 pounds. The company also sought to help their employees live healthier lives by increasing participation in its biometric health screenings, and efforts led to 73 percent of employees getting screened in 2008 – up from 55 percent the previous year. The benefits of a healthier workforce also led to a medical trend of less than 2 percent in 2008. This is a great example of what a simple, low-cost program design can achieve in terms of engagement and return on investment.

ROI to date:

The key metrics were participation in biometric screenings and improvement in employee health status.

• 2,722 participants in walking program (walked an average of 8,227 steps)
• 279 participants in weight program (lost an average of 18 lbs)
• 73% participation in 2008 biometric screening program (up from 55%)
• 5 point improvement in the company aggregate Health Index score
• 25% reduction in the % scoring in the highest health risk levels
• An increase from 69% to 73% in the % scoring in healthy range
• Reduction in sedentary lifestyles from 59% of population to 46%
• Reduction in overweight from 37% of population to 35%
• Of individuals with high biometric screenings scores in 2007 who were retested in 2008:
  • 66% reduction in participants with Cholesterol > 220
  • 74% reduction in participants with Glucose > 110
  • 65% reduction in participants with HDL < 35
  • 72% reduction in participants with LDL > 160
  • 71% reduction in participants with Triglycerides > 200
• AFG '08 medical trend<2%

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Type of Organization in Which the Solution Was Implemented

AFG is engaged primarily in property and casualty insurance (“P&C”), focusing on specialized commercial products for businesses, and in the sale of traditional fixed, indexed and variable annuities and a variety of supplemental insurance products.

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Size of Organization in Which the Solution Was Implemented

AFG employs more than 5,500 people nationwide.

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Time Commitment for Implementation

Planning cycle:  3 months
Implementation time:  5 months

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Lessons Learned

There were no major difficulties despite the size and complexity of the AFG organization. The hardest part was finding a vendor for the walking program. There were only a handful of companies that offered the USB enabled pedometer with accompanying website we desired and none of those had a significant customer presence in the U.S. Additionally, AFG had to adjust the structure and administration of the weight program subsidy from the original design due to the franchised structure of the vendor that was used. In the end, these turned out to be non-issues. However, once these preliminary issues were resolved, AFG had no major issues during the course of the program.

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If You Implemented This Solution Again, What Would You Do Differently?

This program was very successful. The response from AFG employees and the support that this Challenge has given to their wellness culture has been overwhelming. In a recent survey, 41% of employees strongly agreed with the statement “I believe that AFG is committed to my health and wellness”. In addition, of employees who participated in the Challenge, 96% said that it had a positive effect on their health. Beyond the many personal stories of lives that have been changed, it produced momentum in employee morale and opened lines of communication between employees that were not anticipated at the launch of the program.