| Strategies to improve employee and population health |  |
| Wellness Programs & Trends |  |  |
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- Texas employers offer year-round wellness incentives
Robert Shapard, CEO of Dallas electric transmission company Oncor, emphasizes wellness year-round by paying employees $100 each quarter for making three lifestyle improvements, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, going for a walk or spending quality time with their family. Baylor Health Care System, which also pays workers quarterly for participating in wellness programs, found its efforts saved $2.44 for every dollar spent. The Dallas Morning News (free content)
(12/22)     
| Fitness | | |
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- Ariz. students lose weight in PHAT class
Students at Casa Grande Union High School in Arizona who volunteered for PHAT class have lost 120 pounds since August. The class, which students named, emphasizes exercise and nutrition and is operated by physical-education teacher Kurt Kieser, who created it for children who wanted to lose weight. Kieser participates in the program with students every day and cooks for them twice a week. San Francisco Chronicle/The Associated Press
(12/22)
| Health News & Research | | |
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- Survey: Americans find health care access the most urgent problem
A new survey conducted by Gallup shows that 23% of Americans find access to care to be the most urgent health problem in the U.S., followed by health care costs at 19%. Gallup noted that the efforts of the Affordable Care Act in addressing those two issues may not be felt until full implementation of the law in 2014. BenefitsPro.com
(12/21)
- Menus with calorie count, exercise miles lead to better choices
A study in the journal Appetite found participants who used fast-food menus that indicated the calorie content of meals and the number of miles of walking required to burn them off consumed fewer calories than those who ordered food from menus that included only information on calorie content, calories plus minutes of walking required or menus without any nutritional information. Medical News Today
(12/22)
| Schools & Community | | |
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- Classroom parties get healthy makeover in Colo.
Classroom parties in some Colorado schools are becoming increasingly healthier, with parents and teachers swapping cupcakes and cookies for fruit, vegetables and popcorn. The push for healthier foods stems from concerns over childhood obesity and the effects of junk food on students' academic performance. At one school, nutrition professionals were called on to serve healthy alternatives for classroom parties, including sweet potato muffins with light cream cheese frosting. Education News Colorado
(12/20)
| Wellness Industry Developments | | |
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| AHIP News | | |
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There’s still time to save on various 2013 AHIP conferences
Take advantage of special year-end pricing on AHIP conferences, including the National Policy Forum, Institute 2013, Medicare/Medicaid Conferences and Fall Forum. You'll learn from world-class business, health care and political speakers, and have the opportunity to network with health care professionals from throughout the country. Register by 12:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 31 to save. Get details and register.
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Improve your ACA knowledge with new online courses
Learn about a variety of Affordable Care Act (ACA) topics with AHIP’s online course series. Available courses cover Medicare, Exchanges, the Summary of Benefits and Coverage, and Accountable Care Organizations, with more programs planned in the near future. Get details.
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy."
--William Blake,
British poet and painter
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| AHIP Solutions Team |
Managing Editor, Online Publishing:
Yvonne Chanatry
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| | Recent AHIP Wellness SmartBrief Issues:
- Friday, December 21, 2012
- Thursday, December 20, 2012
- Wednesday, December 19, 2012
- Tuesday, December 18, 2012
- Monday, December 17, 2012
| | | Lead Editor: Kathryn Doherty
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