GPA and Clients Named “Healthiest Companies in America”

GPA, Navy Army Federal Credit Union and American Marazzi Tile lauded for employee health and low healthcare costs

September 23, 2009 (Dallas, TX) Group & Pension Administrators, Inc., (GPA) one of the largest third-party benefit administrators in the Southwestern United States, today announced that GPA and two of its clients — Navy Army Federal Credit Union and American Marazzi Tile — were named “healthiest companies in America” by Interactive Health Solutions (IHS), the leading provider of on-site Health Evaluations to companies nationwide.  The award is based on clinical evaluations of employee participants across an index of key health indicators.

GPA received the Most Improved award and Navy Army Federal Credit Union and American Marazzi Tile received the Healthiest Companies Overall award.  Winning companies were selected based on best year-to-year aggregate Interactive Health Index (IHI) score improvement and best overall IHI score, respectively.  The organizations were selected from more than 2,000 that participate in the IHS program.

GPA, Navy Army Federal Credit Union and American Marazzi Tile received the honors for making highly measurable progress in reducing medical costs and encouraging employee health through prevention-based healthcare.  All three companies use GPA’s HealthWatchTM Medical Management Solutions, which provide integrated wellness tools, programs and resources to help employees manage their overall health while minding the bottom line impact of healthcare.

"GPA has long been committed to helping our employees and our clients’ employees be as healthy and productive as possible while managing healthcare costs.  In fact, we designed HealthWatch with this in mind," said Kathy Enochs, GPA COO.  "More and more of our clients benefit from improved productivity and lower healthcare costs and these awards showcase the efforts.”

“IHS is proud to recognize the achievements – and especially, the commitment – of these companies and their employees,” says Jim Banks, IHS CEO.  “The impact of preventative care extends from the individual employee, who may enjoy a longer, more active life, to the employer, who gains healthier, more productive workers, and an effective means of impacting healthcare costs.” 

Preventative programs uncover hidden conditions

IHS’ research indicates that in a typical company 58 percent of employees have medical conditions that are unknown and/or not being treated, and require some type of medical intervention. According to IHS, some of these conditions carry a high price tag in lost productivity and poor service quality.   For example:

• Employees who don’t get sick save money in medical costs. IHS calculates that on average, the 2008 Healthiest Companies in America spent $1,280 less per employee on annual healthcare costs.   
• Healthy employees perform better on the job.  Rates of presenteeism (employees that are at work but not productive) at the 2008 Healthiest Companies workplaces are 22 percent lower than non-participants. 
• Population Health Management helps slow rising healthcare costs.  A 2007 study by Zoe Consulting, Inc., Catawba, South Carolina, showed that, for IHS participants, the actual medical cost growth rate was 54 percent lower than the medical cost growth rates for non-participants.
   
  About Group & Pension Administrators, Inc.
  Group & Pension Administrators, Inc. (GPA) is the largest independently owned third-party administrator (TPA) in the Southwest, providing highest-quality and custom healthcare benefit management solutions to self-insured employers. For 40 years, GPA has combined its value of service excellence with a commitment to clients, employing industry-leading technology, tools and – above all – "high-touch" patient care to deliver the healthiest employees and the "healthiest" bottom line.  For more information, visit gpatpa.com.

About GPA’s HealthWatchTM Medical Management Solutions
HealthWatch™ – Medical Management Solutions provide wellness tools and resources for an organization’s entire employee base and assist chronically ill employees and their covered family members. Powered by advanced data analytic tools, HealthWatch enables employers to help employees

• manage their overall health;
• evaluate and manage risk;
• assess healthcare program quality and costs;
• target, evaluate and improve disease management programs; and
• improve underwriting predictability and financial forecasting. 

HealthWatch services include integrated wellness programs — complete with online health risk assessments, onsite screenings, electronic health information and tools, lifestyle management interventions and incentive management programs — lifestyle coaching, disease management, case management, utilization review and maternity management.  For more information, please visit www.gpatpa.com/healthwatch.htm.
About Interactive Health Solutions, Inc. (IHS)

Interactive Health Solutions, Inc. (IHS) provides turnkey population health management programs to companies nationwide.  Program services are clinically based and fully HIPAA compliant.  The year-round IHS program includes annual, on-site Health Evaluations; individualized health goals; in-person courses and online information about specific conditions; as well as full program administration, record keeping and reporting.  IHS employs a national staff of medical professionals (physicians, phlebotomists, counselors, nurses and others) that administer the tests.  IHS then reviews and recommends courses of action. The company maintains a comprehensive database and a virtual medical file for each participant.  For more information, contact IHS at 800-840-6100, or visit www.healthiestcompanies.com or
www.interactivehealthsolutions.com. 

Contact Information:

Kathy Enochs
GPA
972.744.2445