Posted on Tuesday, 17th August 2010 by Brooke Richmond

Home screening tests used to be considered a waste of money – not anymore. UnitedHealthcare is now offering the kits free to 700 small businesses in Washington state. The goal is to empower employees to take charge of their health.

The at-home kit , developed by Santa Barbara BioIQ, tests for cholesterol and blood sugar.

“We know that heart disease is on the rise, we know that diabetes and weight is a problem and we know that a lot of males don’t go to the doctor, said Patrick Chestnut, CEO of Affiliated Associations of America, a trade association that represents small businesses.

Even UnitedHealthcare CEO David Hansen was shocked to learn that his cholesterol levels were high.

“It really caused me to rethink and stop and say I’m really going to plan out how I eat. Am I perfect? No. Do I eat pizza? Sure, but I’ve really brought down my cholesterol levels over the past year.”

In a pilot study, four-percent of participants were flagged at high risk for diabetes, 10-percent had high cholesterol. Many, like Hansen, had no idea.

“What that means is that people like me will rethink their diet, rethink their exercise patterns and in some cases, consult physicians and have good discussion around their health that might not otherwise have happened or have happened way down the stages of the disease,” he said.

Cutting health care costs is only part of the goal, according to Chestnut.

“We can really improve employee productivity by heading off major illnesses or even moderate illnesses that maybe can be prevented.”

The tests are voluntary and the results, confidential. As technology improves, UnitedHealthcare hopes to one day be able to offer home screening tests for cancer and kidney disease.

 

 

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