New Partnership Between FirstCare and HealthFitness Provides Cost-Effective Preventive Health Solutions for Small- to Mid-Size C
July 01 2009 - 1:38PM
PR Newswire (US)
MINNEAPOLIS, July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- HealthFitness
(NYSE:FIT) today announced a partnership with FirstCare Health
Plans (FirstCare) to offer small- to mid-size companies in west
Texas innovative solutions to improve employee health. The
partnership initially represents 61,000 fully insured lives. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090122/CG61641LOGO) "With our
new 'Partner Program' we have made employee wellness programs
affordable for the small- to mid-size company segment," said Gregg
O. Lehman, CEO and president, HealthFitness. "We can now provide
the benefits of wellness programs that have historically been the
purview of Fortune 500 companies to 'Main Street' employers at
affordable prices. The financial concerns that often prevent
smaller employers from offering their employees health improvement
programs are now off the table. We are excited to partner with
FirstCare to provide its clients access to comprehensive wellness
programs to improve employee quality of life and job productivity,
at very competitive prices." Through HealthFitness' new Partner
Program -- a turnkey health improvement solution offered through
health plans and third-party administrators to small- to mid-sized
organizations -- FirstCare now offers a private label solution that
enables its clients to reduce employee health risks and lower
health care costs by way of: -- Health promotion and interactive
educational tools through an eHealth platform -- A confidential,
user-friendly health risk assessment that provides personalized
health information about modifiable risks that are under an
employee's control to prevent -- Health advising for health risk
assessment results interpretation and program enrollment -- Health
coaching to support employees to change behaviors in 12 focus
areas, including physical activity, healthy eating and stress
management. Employees can access their health coach via phone
and/or a private, secure online message board -- Employer level
reporting as well as annual aggregate reports to evaluate the
effectiveness of the program at the employer site and across the
FirstCare membership. In addition, FirstCare has chosen
HealthFitness as its health promotion incentive administrator. "To
bring out the full potential of its workforce, businesses need a
competitively-priced solution that enhances employee health and
engages their workers in reducing health risks," said Steve Abalos,
Vice President - Sales and Operations, FirstCare. "Our partnership
with HealthFitness gives our clients tools essential for decreasing
health care costs and creating healthier, more productive employees
- thereby giving companies a competitive advantage in their
respective markets." Austin-based FirstCare operates as an
Independent Practices Association model health maintenance
organization, providing prepaid medical, hospital and related
comprehensive health care services primarily to small- and mid-size
employers in west Texas. For more information about the
HealthFitness Partner Program, visit hfit.com or call 800-639-7913.
About FirstCare Health Plans FirstCare Health Plans (FirstCare) was
born and bred in Texas and we are extremely proud of that heritage.
FirstCare is owned by two highly respected religious-based health
systems -- Covenant Health Systems in Lubbock, Texas, and Hendrick
Health Systems in Abilene, Texas. We were founded in 1985 and now
serve the health insurance needs for approximately 200,000 members.
Our goal is to provide the highest quality health care services at
a reasonable price. We believe that health care should be within
the reach of all Texans, and we work hard to provide flexible plans
that suit their needs. -- FirstCare provides comprehensive health
care services to HMO subscribers and their enrolled dependents
within their approved service area. -- FirstCare also owns
Southwest Life & Health Insurance Company (SWL&H) which
offers the FirstCare PPO, life insurance and dental products. --
FirstCare Administrative Services adds to our portfolio by
providing self-funded services. Our corporate headquarters are
located in Austin, Texas. We also have offices in Abilene,
Amarillo, Lubbock and Waco. For more information, please visit
http://www.firstcare.com/. About HealthFitness HealthFitness is an
award-winning provider of integrated health promotion and fitness
management solutions to Fortune 500 companies, the health care
industry and individual consumers. With 30-plus years of
experience, HealthFitness partners with employers to effectively
manage health care and productivity costs by improving individual
health and well-being. HealthFitness provides a portfolio of
solutions, including best-in-class integration, INSIGHT(R) Health
Risk Assessments, screenings, EMPOWERED(TM) Health Coaching and
fitness facility design and management. For more information on
HealthFitness, visit http://www.hfit.com/. Forward Looking
Statements Certain statements in this release, including, without
limitation, statements relating to the ability of FirstCare's
clients to reduce employee health risks and lower health care costs
using the Partner Program and FirstCare's ability to give those
clients tools essential for decreasing health care costs and
creating healthier, more productive employees, thereby giving
companies a competitive advantage in their respective markets
through the Partner Program, are forward-looking statements. Any
statements that are not based upon historical facts, including the
outcome of events that have not yet occurred and the company's
expectations for future performance, are forward-looking
statements. The words "potential," "believe," "estimate," "expect,"
"intend," "may," "could," "will," "plan," "anticipate," and similar
words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and
expectations of management. Actual results may vary materially from
those contained in forward-looking statements based on a number of
factors including, without limitation, the company's inability to
deliver the services under the Partner Program and other factors
disclosed from time to time in the company's filings with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission including our Form 10-K for 2008
as filed with the SEC. You should take such factors into account
when making investment decisions and are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date on which they are made. The company undertakes
no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Available
Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link. Gregg O. Lehman
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=86090
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090122/CG61641LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: HealthFitness CONTACT: Wes
Winnekins, CFO, +1-952-897-5275, media, Deb Marshall, VP of
Marketing, +1-952-897-5235, , both of Health Fitness Corporation;
or investor relations, Joe Dorame, Robert Blum, Joe Diaz, all of
Lytham Partners, LLC, +1-602-889-9700, , for Health Fitness
Corporation Web Site: http://www.hfit.com/
http://www.firstcare.com/
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