Healthy Choice$
Work Site Wellness Program

Healthy Choice$ is a way of helping you improve your health status. The plan will measure your health, help you to establish goals and provide you with the tools to achieve your personal goals.

Health insurance historically existed to take care of the sick and injured. Like auto or homeowner’s insurance, it was not used unless “something” happened. Health insurance was never intended to maintain or improve health, only to be there as a safety net if illness occurred. Healthy Choice$ combines this traditional insurance feature along with an organized system to improve and maintain your health.

According to the American Hospital Association in a presentation on factors which influence health: 10% is due to genetics, 10% is due to our environment, only 10% is influenced by the medical community and a whopping 70% is due to our own lifestyle and behavioral choices! This has been supported by our research of past health claims at ORHC where 56% of the plan’s claim dollars were spent on behavioral/lifestyle related cases (drug & alcohol, poor prenatal care, smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, etc.) Ironically almost all health plans concentrate their resources in the 10% medical category. Most money goes toward treatment and curative efforts rather than prevention or improving lifestyle.

The central theme of a work site wellness program is to shift our resources to the lifestyle and behavioral side, while creating a supportive environment. This is the area where there is potentially the most impact. As described in the recently published, “Healthy Iowans 2010” report from the Iowa Department of Public Health, the workplace is a logical place to offer a comprehensive wellness program such as Healthy Choice$. This is due to the fact that Americans spend more time at the workplace than at any other activity except sleeping. The workplace can play a crucial role in helping people take responsibility for their own health and for making healthy lifestyle choices.

Healthy Choice$ was first implemented at Ottumwa Regional Health Center in 1996. It was purchased and implemented by the City of Ottumwa in 1998, and is currently being utilized by several other businesses in Southeast Iowa. These programs have demonstrated measurable success in decreased absenteeism and injuries, and improvements in overall health.

Health Promotions
1001 Pennsylvania Avenue Ottumwa, IA 52501
Local Number: 641-684-3119
Toll Free: 800-933-6742 ext. 3119