As the leader in the disability insurance market, UNUM’S commitment to health and disability management within its own workforce is critical. UNUM not only leads with its products, but by example. In 1996 UNUM began to rethink its traditional, silo approach to the provision of health promotion (health education, fitness facilities, prevention and Employee Assistance Program), occupational health and safety, workers compensation and disability management programs. UNUM recognized that prevention programs help employees productively stay at work and prevent disabilities. And, return to work efforts (disability management) are a vital part of this continuum of care.
Program Description
As the leader in the disability insurance market, UNUM'S commitment to health and disability management within its own workforce is critical. UNUM not only leads with its products, but by example. In 1996 UNUM began to rethink its traditional, silo approach to the provision of health promotion (health education, fitness facilities, prevention and Employee Assistance Program), occupational health and safety, workers compensation and disability management programs. UNUM recognized that prevention programs help employees productively stay at work and prevent disabilities. And, return to work efforts (disability management) are a vital part of this continuum of care.
UNUM'S Integrated Health, Safety and Disability Management (IHSDM) Program has the following goals:
- To enhance the health and well being of employees through benefits design, health promotion, prevention, work place safety and occupational health and return to work programs. To reduce the incidence of disability and absenteeism. Excellent and responsive health, safety and disability management customer service (one face to the customer, one phone line for contact). Centralized and strategic coordination of IHSDM people and financial resources, leveraging best practices across UNUM. Consistent health, safety and disability management and procedures across UNUM'S U.S. businesses. Clear, concise and effective employee communications on health, safety and disability management. Expertise to UNUM businesses, supporting UNUM' s growth by demonstrating the value and impact of health, safety and disability management as key human resource strategies.
- In our quest for a broad-based safety culture, continued focus and movement towards maintaining OHSA Voluntary Protection Program status for Maine operations.
Contact Summary
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Program Name | Integrated Health, Safety and Disability Management |
| Company Name and Address | UNUM Corporation2211 Congress St., P3334Portland, ME 04122 |
| Contact Person | Susan J. Olson, MSPH 2VP, Integrated Health, Safety and Disability Manager |
| Program Information | |
| Program Category | InsuranceIntegrated Systems of Care |
| Year begun | 1997 |
| Total number of individual participants | 4,000 |
| Number of currently actively enrolled | 4,000 |
| Access to Program | Employees |
| Cost per participant per year | see documentation* |
| Estimated cost savings per participant per year | see documentation* |
| Program targeted at Healthy People 2000 goals |
Yes |
| Program goals (in priority order) | (1) Integration of health, safety and disability management programs(2) Risk reduction(3) Cost effectiveness(4) Health outcome improvement |
*refer to program details/evaluation documentation for more specific information
Evaluation Summary
Program Strategies
In order to broaden the impact of UNUM'S health, safety and disability management programs UNUM provides the following program components:
A toll free hot line for all U.S. based employees to get health, safety or disability management information. The hotline provides employees with one place to go:
- To report work related injury or discomfort
- To acquire short term disability claim kits and leave of absence information.
- For the Employee Assistance Program
- To report safety issues or concerns.
- For the Nurseline and Eldercare.
- For the Wellpower Program (health promotion program)
- For reasonable job accommodations.
- For return to work programs.
UNUM'S Occupational Health Program focuses on early intervention and aggressive treatment.The Occupational Health Program includes an onsite Occupational Health Clinic in Maine that provides physician assessment and treatment and physical therapy. The physical therapy treatment includes utilizing the Wellpower Fitness Facility for work hardening and rehabilitation. Across the United States, the Occupational Health Program works closely with the workers compensation carrier and the disability plans to ensure effective treatment and workplace accommodations.
UNUM'S safety program is comprehensive and proactive. Ergonomic science is utilized to ensure that employee's workstation and work environment is ergonomically designed for the individual and the work to be done. A very active employee Safety and Health Committee provides safety education and safety audits and ensures that any safety problems are addressed quickly. In addition, indoor air quality, emergency response and first responder programs are provided. UNUM'S health promotion program, Wellpower, and the Safety program also havean integrated approach to education, reducing redundancy and increasing effectiveness. In 1998 UNUM became the first office environment to be recommended for OSHA's prestigious Voluntary Protection Program Star Level.
UNUM'S disability management approach includes an emphasis on early intervention to help anemployee stay at work through reasonable accommodation and several return to work initiatives. UNUM'S Accommodation Tool Kit describes UNUM'S policies and programs forassistive technology, transitional work, the disability placement program and attendant services to facilitate stay at work and return to work for employees with disabilities. These programs are a partnership between UNUM and the employee and recognize the dignity andimportance of work for individual health. The Integrated Health, Safety and DisabilityManagement program works closely with UNUM'S One Benefit's Center to integrate the case management of shorter and longer term disability whether occupational or non-occupational in nature. In 1998, UNUM'S disability management program resulted in 91 percent of the employees IHSDM Disability Manager's worked with successfully remaining at work instead of going on a disability leave.
UNUM'S health promotion and prevention programs have been nationally recognized. TheWellpower Program includes onsite and staffed fitness facilities in Maine and South Carolina,a wide range of health education programs, screening and immunization. Employee Assistance Program (EAP), reimbursement, childcare referral services and policy formation to promote employee health. These programs are prevention programs that help employees stay productively at work and prevent disability.
The total 1998 Integrated Health, Safety and Disability Management budget was $1,680,47 with an additional $192,571 raised in employee fees for the Fitness Facilities (10 percent oftotal costs). The target population of the IHSDM programs are employees and their family members. IHSDM has 14 fall time employees and utilizes a number of consultants for case management, education and program implementation.
Evaluation Results
Evaluation of the IHSDM programs has demonstrated a savings of $2.72 for every dollar invested in the programs. Studies have compared participants and non-participants in UNUM'S health promotion program, Wellpower, and medical costs and absenteeism rates. Occupational health and safety studies have compared UNUM results to national norms and disability management studies have looked at the impact of UNUM'S stay at work initiatives.
Evaluation Documentation
Critique
Overall Selection Task Force Criteria for UNUM Corporation
This is a broad, well established program with a budget of nearly two million dollars per year for their "options and choices" evaluation. The program is directed at disability outcomes. There is a return on investment of 2.72 for fitness facility members with $70,020 lower claims than non-members. Sick days were down four days a year and only 10 percent of smokers remain. There are good behavioral risk status numbers. The program has a health safety committee and health promotion program available for family also. The integration of these health programs is a valuable enhancement and high participation rates are impressive. Health risks as measured by employee survey are encouraging.
Reviewer concerns were that a potential for self selection for fitness programs remained in the design, so that results might not been entirely due to the program. The 50 percent response rate to the survey is not necessarily representative and there are potential problems with the control group as to whether it has precisely the same demographics.