New Study: Personify Health Wellness Programs Benefit Participants and Reduce Costs

Posted: 10.9.2024

Wellness programs powered by Personify Health – such as HealthTrust’s Slice of Life wellness program – can have significant positive impacts on participants’ mental and physical health, lifestyle habits, and claims costs, according to a new study from Merative Health Insights, an independent healthcare analytics firm.

The study looked at two years of data on more than 60,000 wellness program participants and compared it to Merative’s benchmark database of 4.5 million people. It evaluated the impact of participant engagement on medical costs and utilization by testing the hypothesis that engaged participants would be better users of the health care system and contribute to lower costs. Participants were considered “engaged” if they used the platform at least weekly while those who used the platform monthly or less frequently were considered “controls.” Following are key findings of the study.

Benefits for Participants

When compared to the control group, engaged participants:

• Spent 23% more on preventive health visits, demonstrating a more proactive approach to managing their well-being. They also had 11% fewer acute facility admissions, and 14% lower total care costs, potentially driven by higher preventative care utilization and better management of overall well-being.
• Had 4% fewer cases of depression and 6% lower growth rate in anxiety from 2021 to 2022, potentially indicating positive mental and emotional health outcomes from the well-being program – especially in the post-COVID-19 pandemic years.
• Made informed choices for their healthcare services. They had a larger proportion of outpatient costs compared to inpatient costs, indicating they were more likely to choose a lower cost option for care (such as a walk-in clinic instead of an ER) when appropriate.

Average Savings for Plan Providers

When compared to the market benchmark, potential savings from participants’ engagement in their wellness program included:   

• A 2-to-1 Positive Return on Investment: For every $1.00 spent on a wellness program the plan saves more than $2.00. $15,696,107 total annual savings, compared to $7,242,090 annual cost
• $699: Savings per participant per year
• 14% lower total care costs
• 29% lower inpatient costs
• 38% lower prescription costs
• 3% lower mental health cost trends

At HealthTrust we stay committed to providing the benefit products and services New Hampshire’s public employees and their family members need to prevent disease and achieve optimum health, and the education to maximize their benefits and make informed decisions about their care. This study demonstrates that Personify Health wellness programs, such as HealthTrust’s Slice of Life program, can play an important role in helping participants stay healthy, make informed healthcare decisions, and reduce costs. It provides further proof that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.

Click the link to read more about the study: Study of Personify Health Wellbeing Programs  

Get more from your benefits and improve your health by participating in Slice of Life! If you are covered by a HealthTrust medical plan, you and your covered spouse (if applicable) can each earn up to $475 in rewards per year by completing health-promoting activities in the Personify Health (formerly Virgin Pulse) portal. Click the Secure Login button on our homepage and select “New User” to create your account on HealthTrust’s Secure Enrollee Portal (SEP), or log in to your existing SEP account. On the SEP homepage, click on the Slice of Life button to be directed to the Personify Health platform where you can complete your Health Check, track your activities, watch helpful videos, work with a health coach, join fun challenges, or choose other ways to earn points toward Rewards Cash and begin your journey to optimum health.