PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 13, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Independence Blue Cross (IBC), the region's leading health insurer, announces a new pilot program and collaborative study with wellness innovators Bon'App and United Preference. The program provides online education and incentives to IBC associates in order to improve nutrition knowledge and encourage healthier eating. Through a nutrition "challenge," IBC associates will be able to earn incentive dollars loaded onto an IBC Wellness Rewards Card powered by United Preference, which can be used exclusively at designated health and wellness related retailers.
The Bon'App nutrition program allows users to record what they eat and measures how well they are following their daily nutrition goals. The program can be accessed on a participant's iPhone or Android device or via the internet. Additionally, United Preference's Tailored Spend™ Incentive Platform ensures that all earned incentive dollars are spent on health-related products and services — reinforcing the program's wellness goals.
"Our goal at IBC is to meet our members' needs by making it easy for them to keep track of their health even when they're on the go — and that applies to our associates, too," said Kimberly Eberbach, IBC vice president of wellness and community health. "The Bon'App challenge provides an innovative nutrition education program for our associates and rewards their efforts to live healthier lives."
Results from the collaborative study will be published this fall.
"When it comes to nutrition, knowledge is power, particularly when employees are trying to effectively manage their weight," said Laurent Adamowicz, CEO of Bon'App. "Using our mobile app on-the-go to conveniently record meals, Bon'App users understand in simple terms their consumption of sugar, salt, and bad fat. Once educated, many consumers inherently begin making healthier food choices essential to reducing the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease."
"Incentives dramatically increase participation and engagement in health-and-wellness-related activities," said Mark Hall, CEO of United Preference. "Our tailored incentive dollars can only be spent on health-related products and services, encouraging healthy lifestyle, while enhancing the value of any wellness program. Our data-driven incentives, operated jointly with Bon'App, can be implemented by any employer to improve their employees' health."
In addition to the Bon'App pilot program, IBC offers Farm to You, a farm share program which delivers the healthy benefits of farm-fresh food directly to associates at work. Associates who join receive 12 deliveries of a handpicked assortment of fruits and vegetables, plus a dozen eggs. Each member also gets a free, reusable insulated bag to carry produce and eggs home, as well as a biweekly newsletter with recipes, farmer profiles, and storage tips featuring the weeks produce items.
IBC's wellness initiatives are designed to help associates become better consumers of health care services and to educate them on what they need to know to stay healthy.
About Independence Blue Cross
Proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2013, Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania serving more than seven million people nationwide, including 2.2 million in the region. We are enhancing the health and wellness of the people and communities we serve by delivering innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneering new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and supporting programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more about how we're changing the game, visit www.ibx.com . Connect with us on Facebook at ibx.com/facebook and on Twitter at @ibx . Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About United Preference
United Preference administers wellness incentives and other wellness benefit dollars more efficiently with its Tailored Spend™ Payments Platform and Prepaid Cards, which run on the Discover network. United Preference customizes retail acceptance of its cards so they can only be used to purchase items like healthy foods and supplements conducive to healthy lifestyle; or pay for health related services, including doctor office copays, weight control programs, and fitness clubs. To realize greater efficiency and transparency in your wellness programs, visit www.unitedpreference.com .
About Bon'App
Bon'App provides innovative and engaging Nutrition Education Programs to help employers reduce healthcare costs by improving their employees' health. Utilizing its unique and easy-to-use mobile and web-based application, Bon'App educates employees about their nutrition to help empower them to make healthier food choices. The programs include engagement and retention methods that keep employees motivated to reach their weight loss goals; and tracking tools that provide a measureable impact on changes in eating behavior and nutrition knowledge. To learn more about how Bon'App's Nutrition Education Programs can help lower your healthcare costs through improved nutrition knowledge and weight loss, visit www.bon-app.com .
Media Contact: Kathleen Conlon Public Relations Manager Independence Blue Cross 215-241-4576
