Marsh & McLennan Agency wellness case study - biometric and claims data reveals a program efforts are working to bend the curve.

1. CASE STUDY
A Total Workplace Wellness Program
Client Profile
Industry: Municipality
Number of Employees: 370+
THE CHALLENGE
In 2006, the City made a significant investment in a wellness program as an effort
to reduce medical and prescription claims and costs, improve employee health and
reduce absenteeism.
After launch, the program was limited by several challenges including:
•• A lack of clear program outcomes and incentive opportunities for all participants
•• Insufficient reporting – key health measurables were obtained, but were missing
trend aggregate data necessary to monitor progress
•• A minimal program focus on the low to medium risk employee population
•• A missing correlation between wellness activities and health care costs
THE SOLUTION
When Marsh & McLennan Agency (MMA) was hired by the City in 2008, a wellness
advisory team was formed to review the strengths and weaknesses of the City’s
current program and recommend strategies for improvement. The advisory team
included representatives from the City HR department, the current wellness vendor
and MMA’s Chief Medical Officer and Wellness Director. The team’s program
analysis identified the need for a proactive and comprehensive approach to provide
all employees with a variety of opportunities to improve their health.
According to a recent Mercer
Employer Survey*, employers are
banking on health management
strategies to control costs in the
long-term. As a result, employers
have taken steps to:
•• Promote engagement as well
as participation
•• Create a supportive work
environment
•• Measure results
*2013 Mercer National Survey of Employer Sponsored Health Plans

2. THE SOLUTION ACTION STEPS
The team focused on the following actions:
•• Increased emphasis on low to medium risk employee population
•• Incorporation of employee spouses to foster wellness at work and at home
•• Development of a multi-year outcome based incentive program for employees and spouses
–– All participants can earn a significant reduction in their monthly health plan premium contribution
•• The availability of additional wellness tools for all employees including onsite health screenings, a personal
and group health scorecard, access to online wellness resources, and access to an onsite health coach
•• Development of fun wellness activities such as challenges, lunch and learns and walking groups
•• Quarterly meetings to keep continued collaboration among the City, their wellness consultant and the MMA
wellness advisors
THE RESULT
The implementation of an increased focus on low to medium risk employees, as well as a continued focus on
the high risk population, has led to a 17% positive change in the overall health of the City’s employees and
their spouses. The development of the personal health scorecard and incentive program has empowered
and motivated participants to improve their health. In addition, the aggregate health scorecard has given the
City a solution for accurately tracking the health risk trends of its employees. After reviewing the risk status of
the employees between 2011 and 2013, the City observed that 24% of the employees improved their health
measures, 69% stayed the same and 7% of the employees’ health measures worsened. The graph below
illustrates the movement between the identified Moderate, At Risk and Target groups.
The City experienced positive
results in employee risk status
between 2011 and 2013; 24%
of the employees improved,
69% stayed the same and 7%
worsened.
127
17
23
57
Target Group (score above 80)
Moderate Group (score 60 - 70)
At Risk Group (less than 50)
53
8
25
194
62
5
176
2011 2013 2011 2013 2011 2013
Target Group Moderate Group At Risk Group

3. THE RESULT (CONT.)
As outlined in the chart below, the shift to a more comprehensive wellness strategy resulted in continuous decreases in
total hospital admissions, inpatient days, admissions paid and doctors office visits. Furthermore, there has been a steady
increase in preventative office visits.
METRIC/COST/RISK 2011 2012 2013 % DIFFERENCE ADJUSTED NORM
Total Admissions/1000 76.7 69.2 68.1 -1.6 66.9
Inpatient Days/1000 31/2 304.2 206.6 - 32.1 31.3
Total Admission Paid $13,134 $11,007 $10,518 - 4.4 $16,121
Total Office Visits/1000 4,789 4,601 4,527 -1.6 3,968
Preventive Office/1000 446 474 499 + 5.2 412
Average Risk Index 11.04 10.88 9.97 - 8.3 6.71
Average Care Gap Index 2.60 2.42 2.03 - 15.9 1.29
Over the past few years the City has even been recognized for its wellness program, receiving Healthiest Employer awards
in 2010 and 2013. The multi-year strategy has provided the City and its employees with long-range focus and an ongoing
commitment to maintaining and improving personal health.
WHY MMA?
MMA is a recognized leader in population health management, providing comprehensive programs that improve health
and lower costs. MMA implements complete programs including oversight and measurement that:
•• IMPROVE your employee’s health
•• INCREASE productivity and employee morale
•• DECREASE absenteeism
•• DEMONSTRATE results driven outcomes
To learn more about MMA’s health improvement solutions and services, please reach out to your local MMA
representative.
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