Healthways Urges Congressional Leaders to Maintain Focus on “Health” in Healthcare Reform Debate

2009-06-11 21:16:03 -

Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY), the world’s largest and most experienced health and well-being services company, met with the Democratic Blue Dog Coalition yesterday to discuss the value and importance of well-being and prevention in the nation’s current healthcare reform efforts.

Established in 1995, the Blue Dog Coalition is comprised of 51 conservative and moderate House Democrats, representing congressional districts across the

country.

Healthways President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Brueckner offered a variety of health reform recommendations for Blue Dogs to consider.

“Healthways envisions a three-pronged approach,” Brueckner said. “In order to lower overall costs, any healthcare reform plan must ultimately seek to keep healthy people healthy, mitigate and slow the progression of disease associated with modifiable family or lifestyle risk factors and optimize care for those with chronic disease or conditions.

“The need to provide people with the support required to engage in healthy behaviors that reduce their risk of developing disease is just as important as reforms to other influencers and cost drivers in the healthcare system.”


“Healthways is a company that we in Tennessee should be proud of,” said U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN). “They are playing a key role in the current political discussion by enriching our understanding of America’s health – or lack thereof. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index has given policymakers new data that will help guide our efforts to reform healthcare and encourage healthy lifestyles for all Americans.”

Healthways told the Blue Dogs that, in order to help keep healthy people healthy, Congress should create incentives for employers, employees, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and federal workers to engage in healthy behaviors that lower risks associated with unhealthy lifestyles.

The company recommended establishment of a Health, Well-Being and Prevention Innovation Center as part of a federal plan to synthesize health promotion.

Healthways also addressed health disparities and the need to develop and fund population-scale interventions for the 55-64 age group to mitigate and slow the progression of disease before that group enters Medicare.
To optimize care for those that have already developed chronic disease, the company suggested expanding transitional care activities and addressing end-of-life services.

To measure the success of any healthcare reform effort – and more effectively target federal investment – Healthways advocates adoption and use of a national benchmark, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index^TM, the largest and most comprehensive project ever undertaken to measure the relative and health and well-being of the American population over time. A 25-year partnership between Healthways and the Gallup organization, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is already the largest behavioral economics database in existence, with more than 500,000 completed surveys as of May 2009.

“With so many possibilities of change and choices for the investment of public dollars, it is crucial to understand what is successful and where work still needs to be done,” said Brueckner. “We believe the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index can serve as a powerful resource for policymakers, as well as a national benchmark and measurement tool for policies and programs.”

About Healthways, Inc.


Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and well-being and, as a result, reduce overall costs. Healthways’ solutions are designed to help healthy individuals stay healthy, mitigate and slow the progression to disease associated with family or lifestyle risk factors and promote the best possible health for those already affected by disease. Our proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Healthways also provides a national, fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional healthcare system.
For more information, please visit www.healthways.com : cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww .. .

Healthways, Inc.Todd Hastings, 615-614-5358 todd.hastings@healthways.com : mailto:todd.hastings@healthways.com