News of Note: CIGNA to assign wellness score

[Melanie Matthews]

CIGNA is now assigning a "wellness score" to individuals that complete
its health risk assessment. The wellness score clusters them into four
main categories: low risk, risk-taking, biometric and psychological.
It is programmed to recognize 34 dangerous risk combinations and
predict - with an accuracy rating of 83 percent - how likely an
individual is to face health problems that could lead to high health
care costs in the next few years.

The ratings are based on Professor Dee W. Edington, Ph.D., and
researchers at the University of Michigan Health Management Research
Center's work. The system, called the Trend Management System,
analyzes an individual's responses to 34 dangerous risk combinations
and predicts - with an accuracy rating of 83 percent - how likely an
individual is to face health problems that could lead to high health
care costs in the next few years.

The system then creates a personal health assessment profile, which
displays an overall wellness score from 50 to 100 and identifies the
top three risks most likely to affect the individual within the next
few years. The report offers recommended behavior changes to reduce
the risks, and also tells individuals what they're doing well right
now.

Then, based on individual results, some are immediately and
proactively invited to participate in one or more six- to eight-week
new online coaching programs focused on stress, sleep, nutrition or
physical activity. Others are invited to participate in one-on-one
coaching or counseling.