HCF and Healthways Announce Five-Year Renewal of My Health Guardian Health Management Program
HCF Commits to Further Investment in Preventive Health and Well-Being for Members
Sydney, 9 July 2013 – In an endorsement of its pioneering approach to preventive health, Australia’s largest not-for-profit private health insurer, HCF, today announced a five-year contract renewal with US-based Healthways, the world’s largest well-being improvement company, to deliver My Health Guardian, HCF’s award-winning health management program.
In renewing the contract, HCF has committed to further investment to enhance My Health Guardian and strengthen health and wellbeing outcomes for its members.
Launched in 2009, My Health Guardian has provided phone-based support from registered nurses to more than 41,500 HCF members with chronic conditions, and web-based personalised health coaching. My Health Guardian is the longest-running and largest program of its type in Australia
HCF Managing Director, Shaun Larkin, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Healthways. Chronic illness accounts for 70% of Australia’s national disease burden today, likely increasing to 80% by 2020. My Health Guardian now offers a proven model for addressing this burden by improving individual health status, reducing lifestyle risks and containing demand for hospital care.”
The 15 chronic conditions supported under My Health Guardian include diabetes and heart disease, which together account for the bulk of chronic illness in Australia. Evaluation studies have shown the program leads to fewer complications from known chronic disease, lower morbidity, significant reductions in utilisation of healthcare services, unnecessary hospital readmissions and medical cost. (See Note to Editors below for evaluation data and outcomes.)
As well as chronic disease support, My Health Guardian offers HCF’s more than 1.5 million membership access to health risk assessments, health coaching and customised health records through a web portal. Recent enhancements have seen mobile applications and social media engagement tools made available to HCF members.
Healthways Australia Managing Director, Dr Linda Swan, said the renewal of the agreement with HCF confirmed the value of Healthways’ health and well-being solutions and their applicability in Australia.
“HCF should be commended for its long-term commitment to offering a large-scale, effective population health management program in Australia. Healthways leads the industry with an ever-increasing body of hard scientific proof that shows our intervention model improves health and reduces health-related costs. We are proud to partner with HCF in our continued mission to improve the well-being for individuals and populations,” Dr Swan said.