An effective solution to rapidly escalating healthcare costs has been elusive, even as many in the healthcare industry continue to play the blame game and point fingers at malpractice and tort reform, the cost of prescription drugs, and aging baby boomers, to name a few.

With the knowledge that 87.5 percent of diagnosed illnesses are preventable, Meritain Health, the country’s largest independent provider of services for self-funded health plans, has created a comprehensive total population management program built entirely on a simple, yet innovative idea – preventing illness is the most effective strategy to reduce healthcare costs.

Today, Meritain Health introduces Healthy Merits, a ground-breaking program that empowers employers to reduce healthcare costs, maximize productivity and enhance profitability. It provides the tools and resources to motivate employees to change their behaviors and achieve their healthcare goals. Since Meritain Health is a full-service health benefits and wellness provider, it allows the company to be intimately acquainted with each of its clients and to create customized wellness solutions based on each client’s specific needs.

Healthy Merits is a trio of complementary services that provide wellness management, disease management and comprehensive educational tools and resources to members. Meritain Health’s wellness consultants work with employers to build a customized wellness program specific to the needs of its employees. The wellness consultant will review the employer’s demographics, make program design recommendations and develop and facilitate training programs and seminars.

On average, employers can expect to show an annual return of $600 for every $100 invested in employee wellness programs. The success of shifting an employee from a high health-risk category to a low health-risk category can save an employer more than $3,000 per year.

“The most effective way to prevent rising healthcare costs is to institute a solid method of prevention,” said Dr. Larry Luter, Chief Medical Officer for Meritain Health. “The Healthy Merits program will address a variety of health conditions, including depression, weight gain and smoking, reducing the number of people diagnosed with preventable illnesses in the future.”

About Meritain Health
Meritain Health is the nation’s largest independent provider of services for self-funded health plans. Meritain Health serves over 1,400 self-funded clients and over a million members nationally. The company provides plan administration, innovative wellness, medical management, disease management, network management, and cost management services.

Meritain Health is also a pioneer and now the leading independent provider of Consumer Directed Health Plans. Meritain Health employs over 1,350 people, with headquarters in Amherst, N.Y., and regional offices in 28 cities across the country. For more information, visit http://www.meritain.com/.

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