OBJECTIVES: The BCBSLA wellness program (WP) is an initiative to improve the health and wellbeing of participants by offering online health tools (e.g. weight management, healthy foods, stand-up desks), and integration with disease management programs and wellness resources (e.g. disease management for chronic illnesses like diabetes and metabolic syndrome). Monetary incentives are established for participants who meet certain goals. This study evaluated the cost benefits of the BCBSLA employee WP after 5 years of continuous participation.

METHODS: Employees with BCBSLA coverage enrolled in the WP in 2008 and continuously participated in the WP for 5 consecutive years through 2012 and had no record of participation in any other wellness or disease management programs were assigned to the intervention group. We created the control group by propensity matching the WP participants from the intervention cohort to employees with BCBSLA coverage from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012 who did not participate in the WP. Matching was based on the following attributes: age, gender, race, education, health risk score, and chronic conditions. The average change in costs over time per member per month (PMPM) was estimated using a difference in difference (DID) regression model for both WP participants and controls over a 3-year time horizon. The DID model estimated the effect of the WP on PMPM cost and on annual health care and pharmacy expenditures.

RESULTS: The total sample size was 442 with 221 participants in each cohort. DID results showed a reduction in PMPM and annual costs as follows: 2013, $94 and $1,128; 2014, $103 and $1,236; and 2015, $81 and $972. Even with the cost of the WP taken into account, positive return on investment was retained.

CONCLUSIONS: When employees participate and maintain enrollment in the BCBSLA WP, we see monthly savings in healthcare expenditures between $80 and $100 PMPM.