CDC STACKS serves as an archival repository of CDC-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other public health information authored or co-authored by CDC or funded partners.
As a repository, CDC STACKS retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
i
Fitness-Related Activities and Medical Claims Related to Hospital Admissions — South Africa, 2006
-
Sep 15 2009
-
-
Source: Prev Chronic Dis. 6(4).
[PDF-503.50 KB]
Details:
-
Alternative Title:Prev Chronic Dis
-
Personal Author:
-
Description:Introduction
We report on the effect of an incentive-based wellness program on medical claims and hospital admissions among members of a major health insurer. The focus of this investigation was specifically on fitness-related activities in this insured population.
Methods
Adult members of South Africa's largest private health insurer (n = 948,974) were grouped, a priori, on the basis of documented participation in fitness-related activities, including gym visits, into inactive (80%, equivalent to ≤3 gym visits/y), low active (7.0%, 4-23 gym visits/y), moderate active (5.2%, 24-48 gym visits/y), and high active (7.4%, >48 gym visits/y) groups. We compared medical claims data related to hospital admissions between groups after adjustment for age, sex, medical plan, and chronic illness benefits.
Results
Hospitalization costs per member were lower in each activity group compared with the inactive group. This same pattern was demonstrated for admissions rates. There was good agreement between level of participation in fitness-related activities and in other wellness program offerings; 90% of people only nominally engaged in the wellness program also were low active or inactive, whereas 84% of those in the high active group also had the highest overall participation in the wellness program.
Conclusion
Participation in fitness-related activities within an incentive-based health insurance wellness program was associated with lower health care costs. However, involvement in fitness-related activities was generally low, and further research is required to identify and address barriers to participation in such programs.
-
Subjects:
-
Source:
-
Document Type:
-
Place as Subject:
-
Location:
-
Volume:6
-
Issue:4
-
Collection(s):
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
Download URL:
-
File Type:
