The Last Word
New Kids on the Block
Health plans are joining a national movement to change the way children and parents tackle childhood obesity.
ing reimbursement for obesity preventive care available in a broader scope, former President Bill Clinton said at a recent press conference. All insurer and employer signatories have agreed to offer at least four additional visits with a primary care provider or dietitian as part of their benefits portfolio for children and youth. “We want to make sure providers can sit down and work directly with kids and their parents,” said Aetna National Medical Director Dr. Wendy Shanahan-Richards. “That’s what it takes—time to educate, listen and set goals with them.” Aetna will be offering the expanded coverage as part of a three-year pilot program with five large employer groups, she said. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has become “a poster child for what responsible health plan benefits would look like to improve nutrition and level of activity for kids,” said Dr. Don Bradley, chief medical officer and senior vice president of health care. The Blues plan covers four annual physician visits for the diagnosis of obesity and six yearly visits with a certified licensed nutritionist. Both Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Aetna have implemented provider portals and designed tool kits, complete with national guidelines, body mass index tools and information sheets. They’re engaging members as well with online nutrition and wellness tracking programs, healthy eating guidelines, fitness programs and school education initiatives. Thanks to the Alliance, nearly 1 million U.S. children now have access to health care benefits. The coalition hopes to increase that number to more than 1.6 million children within the next three years.
—Lori Chordas
I
nsurers are joining the fight against childhood obesity. Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and WellPoint Inc. are just a few of the partners in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The coalition is a collaborative effort with national medical associations, payers and employers to offer comprehensive health benefits to children and families for the prevention, assessment and treatment of this serious medical condition. The Alliance began in 2005 as a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. Its goal: Reduce the nationwide prevalence of childhood obesity by 2015 and empower kids to make healthy lifestyle choices. Nearly one in three U.S. kids are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. That places them at greater risk for developing diabetes, heart problems and other chronic medical conditions later in life. Childhood obesity carries a $14 billion annual price tag in direct health care costs, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Alliance’s initiative is comprised of four programs. The Healthy Schools Program focuses on placing healthy foods and beverages in vending machines and cafeterias and increases opportunities for students to exercise and play. The Industry Program influences restaurants and snack companies to make substantially healthier meals for children. The Kids’ Movement, tagged empowerME, inspires kids to make healthy behavior changes. And the Health Care Program provides tools to health care providers so they can better diagnose, prevent and treat obesity. One of the biggest outcomes of the effort involves mak-
Photo courtesy of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
CREATING A HEALTHIER GENERATION: Aetna Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ronald A. Williams (left), Dr. Lisa Latts of WellPoint Inc., former President Bill Clinton, Dr. Don Bradley of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, and others are joining together to fight childhood obesity.
BEST’S REVIEW • JUNE 2009
96