Colonial Medical Insurance is moving to help policy holders improve their health with the launch of a new programme designed to encourage exercise and wellness and at the same time help contain claims cost and health care premiums in the long term.

While Colonial Medical Insurance is not the only local insurer to launch a wellness programme recently Argus Insurance has been pushing its own plan for months Colonial says that it is the first health plan on the Island to offer such a service as part of an employer?s their medical plan.

Just as an employer can decide whether their health programme should include vision or dental, they can now opt into the Premier Health Corporate Wellness Programme which is being organised in conjunction with the Athletic Club.

The programme, which had a soft launch in April, will officially be launched to all Premier Health members this afternoon at the Athletic Club.

It is designed to encourage participants to take responsibility for their health and wellness via results-oriented programming including on-site fitness screening, health risk assessments, individualised wellness action plans with two personal training sessions and a meal plan and Colonial-subsidised health club memberships.

?The Corporate Wellness Programme is not just about health awareness, it?s about providing the practical tools to empower people to take charge of their health and wellness,? said Naz Farrow, executive vice president at Colonial. ?We are making an investment in people?s health and expect to see it pay dividends in terms of controlling health care costs.?

She points to statistics which show that 80 per cent of all illnesses are due to lifestyle-related causes such as obesity and physical inactivity, and one-half of all medical costs are attributable to illnesses that could be prevented.

?The correlation between employee health and workplace productivity is indisputable,? said Jacqueline Teunissen, Wellness Director at the Athletic Club. ?To this end, the Athletic Club is able to provide Colonial?s clients with wide-ranging, quantifiable health and wellness benefits, and professional fitness advice.?

The programme will also include lunch and learn sessions on health topics throughout the year and policy holders will also receive preferential membership rates at the Athletic Club.

?We understand that the rising cost of healthcare is an issue of significant concern for both employers and employees alike. Few sectors are better positioned to tackle rising healthcare costs in a proactive way than the health insurance and fitness industries,? said Ms Teunissen.

The programme will eventually include targeted help for members who are at higher risk for developing serious health issues. In those cases, the cost of the Athletic Club?s Clinical Exercise Program, a one-on-one supervised programme with a specialist, will be covered.