DataPath and My Wellchoice+ Partner to Enhance Wellness Program Incentives

* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:52am EST

Third-party administrators and employers now able to link employees` My
Wellchoice+ participation to benefit dollars in their HSA accounts


LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--(Business Wire)--
DataPath, based in Little Rock, Ark., and My Wellchoice+, based in Eagle, Idaho,
are providing third-party administrators and employers a new way to use HSA
contributions to increase wellness program participation and reduce healthcare
costs. 

With software developed by DataPath, employers can convert points earned in the
My Wellchoice+ wellness program into actual dollars paid directly to an
employee`s HSA account. By linking wellness management to an employee`s HSA
account, employers can better incent employees to take control of their wellness
and disease management. 

The My Wellchoice+ online wellness program includes customized fitness,
nutrition and self improvement plans with easy web-based reporting and tracking
tools, education, access to experts, and rewards as part of an online wellness
community. Employees and their families also receive membership discounts to
more than 9,000 health clubs and savings on top-of-the line exercise equipment
to help improve their health. 

"Partnering with My Wellchoice+ provides our clients an easy and effective
wellness program," said Ben Robbins, director of marketing for DataPath. "Our
new software platform will provide employers a better way to track wellness
participation, while providing cash incentives to encourage employees to
actively participate in the program. Finally, employers will have a clear way to
measure participation and calculate overall ROI of their wellness program." 

Through the My Wellchoice+ program, employers can also track employee usage of
fitness facilities. All My Wellchoice+ members receive cards they swipe through
a reader when entering and leaving a facility. That information is summarized to
provide employers with a report on how the employee group as a whole is using
the fitness facilities. Employers can track how many employees are going to a
fitness facility and for how long. 

Employers and employees will access a single web portal to convert points earned
through active participation in the My Wellchoice+ program to benefit credits.
When wellness participation affects their bank account, employee become
extremely motivated, said Scott Leavitt, founder and chief executive officer of
My Wellchoice+. 

"We know wellness works. Our programs help employees lead healthier and more
productive lives while reducing overall healthcare costs for their employers,"
said Leavitt, who also serves as president of the National Association of Health
Underwriters (NAHU). "We`ve made our wellness program easy to use. But it only
works when employees eat healthy, exercise more, live better, stop smoking and
reduce stress. And what better way to incent employees to participate than to
put money back in their pockets." 

DataPath and My Wellchoice+ will offer the new wellness credit platform in
spring 2009. 

About DataPath

DataPath, founded in 1984, is a management-owned, privately held company based
in Little Rock, Ark., that produces software solutions for administering
employee benefit plans. Clients include employers, TPA outsourcing benefit
consultants, and plan service providers, including banks, CPAs, insurance
companies and insurance agencies. DataPath specializes in systems for employee
benefit plans operating under federal regulations, such as cafeteria plans,
flexible spending accounts, dependent care plans, health reimbursement accounts,
health savings accounts, COBRA, healthcare debit cards and more. For more
information, visit http://www.dpath.com. 

About MyWellchoice+

My Wellchoice+ offers effective and affordable wellness programs proven to
reduce costs for employers and foster healthy behaviors for employees. Our
online wellness program is designed to engage employees and their families in
active fitness, healthy eating and lifestyle management that leads to real
results. The My Wellchoice+ online program is built on technology trusted by
more than 20 million participants. Smoking cessation, bio-metric testing and
stress management programs are also available. For more information, visit
http://www.mywellchoiceplus.com. 



DataPath
Brittany Grace, 501-296-9990, ext. 283
brittanyg@dpath.com
or
My Wellchoice+
John Curtis, 208-286-9975
john.curtis@mywellchoiceplus.com



Copyright Business Wire 2009

Comments (0)
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.