EDMONTON, Feb. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - Alberta Blue Cross is about to take its commitment to promoting wellness to a whole new level—by rewarding its customers for making healthy choices. With the introduction of Balance, a new online wellness resource, Alberta Blue Cross plan members have access to a wealth of interactive tools to support and promote their health—and an opportunity to win thousands of dollars worth of prizes ranging from Fitbits and GoPros to gift cards and weekend escape packages.
"Wellness is about more than just addressing health concerns as they arise; it's about prevention and supporting the overall physical, mental and social well-being of Albertans," says Alberta Blue Cross CEO Ray Pisani. "We're excited about the role Balance will play in helping our plan members take positive steps to improve their health and quality of life."
Balance provides Alberta Blue Cross plan members with the opportunity to earn points for a chance to win incentive-based rewards for completing health risk assessments; completing learning modules related to a myriad of health issues ranging from high blood pressure and alcohol consumption to diet and mental health; participating in challenges and committing to making healthy lifestyle choices. Plan members can then use their earned points to enter draws for a wide range of prize items.
Balance provides plan members with personalized action plans and options such as automated medication reminders, activity tracking and health reminders delivered on a pre-scheduled basis. The resource is even integrated with wearable fitness tracking technology to provide ongoing incentives for keeping active.
Balance also supports employer group benefit plan sponsors in promoting the health of their employees. The resource contains a plan administrator dashboard to provide aggregated statistics to employers on employee health to help them identify opportunities for programs and interventions to better support their employee populations. Balance is integrated with Excellence Canada's Healthy Workplace Essentials to provide additional support to employers interested in implementing turn-key, best-practices workplace wellness guidelines. Through this program, employers are guided through a series of workplace wellness milestones while rewarding employees with Balance points for each milestone the organization achieves. The end result: healthier individuals, healthier organizations and healthier populations.
Balance is currently available to Alberta Blue Cross plan members with coverage through medically underwritten individual health plans and insured employer group benefit plans, with plans to expand access to additional plan members in the future. This new online wellness resource aligns closely with Alberta Blue Cross's new Blue for Life vision—through which the organization is committing to playing a larger role in the lives of Albertans by supporting their health and well-being through all ages and stages of life.
As an Alberta-based, not-for-profit organization, Alberta Blue Cross provides health and dental coverage to more than 1.6 million Albertans. The organization is ranked as one of Alberta's Top 10 Most Loved Brands and one of Alberta's Most Respected Organizations.
SOURCE Alberta Blue Cross
Image with caption: "Alberta Blue Cross (CNW Group/Alberta Blue Cross)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160201_C3854_PHOTO_EN_610437.jpg
Image with caption: "BALANCE™. Your life. Your Rewards. (CNW Group/Alberta Blue Cross)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160201_C3854_PHOTO_EN_610439.jpg
Lindsay Smithson, Corporate Communications, Alberta Blue Cross at 780-392-2642 or [email protected].
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