Published: February 21, 2011
Humana To Offer Industry-Leading Vitality Wellness And Loyalty Program To Health Plan Members Through Joint Venture With South Africa's Discovery Holdings Ltd.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. & JOHANNESBURG - (BUSINESS WIRE) - In a bold step to help its health plan members live healthier lives,
Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) announced today that it will offer the Vitality
wellness and loyalty program and the program's wide range of well-being
tools and reward-partners through a joint venture with the program's
parent, Discovery Holdings Ltd. (JSE: DSY). A key element of the program
includes a sophisticated health-behavior-change model supported by an
actuarially sound incentive program.
Under terms of the transaction, Humana will capitalize a new entity,
U.S.-based HumanaVitality, LLC, in which South Africa-based
Discovery will hold a 25 percent stake. HumanaVitality will provide
Humana members with the tools and support necessary to help them make
healthy choices and achieve lifelong well-being through access to the
comprehensive Vitality wellness solution.
In addition, Humana will acquire a 25 percent stake in the business of
The Vitality Group, Discovery's U.S. subsidiary, which will continue to
offer the Vitality wellness solution to U.S. employers who may have
chosen other insurance and or wellness company solutions. The joint
venture is subject to approval by the South African Reserve Bank.
"This joint venture fits perfectly with Humana's consumer-focused
strategy that integrates health, wellness and lifelong well-being as our
platform for future growth," said Michael B. McCallister, Humana's
chairman of the board and chief executive officer. "HumanaVitality will
offer employers and individuals an integrated, comprehensive wellness
solution. It unites Discovery's wellness expertise and ability to
integrate rewards with health, and Humana's demonstrated innovation in
consumer engagement that fosters positive behavior change."
"Discovery is very excited about the potential of our strategic
partnership with Humana. It combines Humana's brand credibility and
scale with Vitality's intellectual property and proven track record in
consumer-engaged wellness programs," said Adrian Gore, Discovery
Holdings' chief executive officer. "There is a growing trend toward
emphasis on cost-management through wellness and prevention and this
presents a compelling opportunity for HumanaVitality in the U.S."
HumanaVitality will open its headquarters offices in Chicago this month.
Humana's Sean Slovenski has been appointed HumanaVitality's chief
operating officer. Slovenski has many years of experience in health care
and well-being, most recently as chief executive of Hummingbird Coaching
Services, a health-coaching company based in Cincinnati that Humana
acquired in 2010. Hummingbird's services will also become an integral
component of the wellness solution being offered by Humana.
Discovery Vitality, an international brand, is a science-based wellness
solution that encourages healthy behaviors that reduce long-term health
care costs by rewarding members for improving their health. Established
more than 10 years ago, Vitality has built a comprehensive integrated
approach to lifestyle improvement.
Serving more than 1.9 million people worldwide, Discovery Vitality is
the world's largest incentive-based health-enhancement program. As
documented in recently published peer-reviewed journals, Vitality has
demonstrated quantifiable success in changing people's behavior and
lowering the economic costs of chronic illness. Engaged Vitality members
experienced lower health care and chronic disease costs per patient,
shorter stays in the hospital and fewer admissions than the general
population.
The use of incentives is pivotal to changing behavior. In 2010 alone,
the program provided its members more than 500,000 flights, nearly
20,000 hotel stays and 3.5 million movie tickets for meeting
lifestyle-modification goals.
About Discovery Holdings
Discovery Holdings (JSE: DSY) is an authorized financial-services
provider. Discovery operates in health-care coverage and life insurance
markets in South Africa and the U.K. through PruHealth and PruProtect,
as well as the long-term savings and investment market in South Africa.
Recently, Discovery entered into an agreement to purchase 20 percent of
Ping An Health of China.
Vitality, Discovery's wellness program, is the largest provider of
corporate and individual wellness initiatives in South Africa, also
operating in the U.K. and the U.S. The company's core purpose is to make
people healthier, and to enhance and protect people's lives through
financial products that clients need and want.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is one of the nation's
largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with
approximately 10.2 million medical members, 7.1 million specialty
members, and more than 300 medical centers and 240 worksite medical
facilities. Humana is a full-service benefits and well-being solutions
company, offering a wide array of health, pharmacy and supplemental
benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals,
as well as primary and workplace care through its medical centers and
worksite medical facilities.
Over its 50-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities
to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in
consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a
better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer
portfolio.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the
Investor Relations page of the company's web site at www.humana.com,
including copies of:
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Annual reports to stockholders
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Securities and Exchange Commission filings
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Most recent investor conference presentations
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Quarterly earnings news releases
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Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
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Calendar of events (including upcoming earnings conference call dates
and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and
institutional investors)
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Corporate Governance information
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Humana Inc.
Corporate Communications:
Tom Noland, 502-580-3674
tnoland@humana.com
or
Discovery
/ The Vitality Group
Barbara Correll, 312-224-7313
bcorrell@thevitalitygroup.com
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