Nationwide Better Health first company to integrate health and productivity services to meet employers' and employees' specific needs COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company today announced the launch of Nationwide Better Health(SM). Nationwide Better Health is the first company to bring together and truly integrate the best collection of health and productivity services that work together, or independently, to meet a wide range of employers' and employees' health and absence management needs. These services are integrated in a unique way to help employers take a holistic approach to their employees' health care needs and reduce their rising health care costs. "We bring a comprehensive approach to employees' health and well-being," said Nationwide Better Health President Holly Snyder. "We provide employers with integrated services for a wide range of health care needs to improve both the health and well-being of their employees and the financial health of their companies. It's a simple truth that healthier employees are not only more productive but less costly to insure." Nationwide Better Health offers a unique grouping of offerings under two main categories: - Better For Life(SM): disease, medical (case and utilization) and maternity management, and health promotion - Better For Work(SM): absence, leave and disability management Nationwide Better Health introduces the industry's only "high touch" integrated disease and disability management offering. Unlike traditional disease and disability management programs that operate in silos, Nationwide Better Health breaks down the barriers between these programs and makes them work together. The key to this offering is the ability of Nationwide Better Health to intervene at the disability claim intake process. The program identifies individual needs and provides the best means to support behavior change by providing these individuals with the tools and information they need to return to work quicker and make better health decisions. A team of nurses, physicians, Ph.D.'s and other experts work together to make sure the right employees are in the right programs at the right time -- these professionals emphasize disease prevention, early detection, education and accountability. A dedicated health coach then provides employees with personalized guidance and support, as well as access to specialized health care services to improve and maintain their health. The results: quicker and sustainable returns to work, reduced absenteeism, healthier employees, and a lower likelihood of additional health care costs. In addition, combining these offerings in one seamless package eliminates system duplications and inefficiencies that drive up costs, and provides employees with coordinated, personalized services. Health care costs are rising eight to 10 percent a year and are expected to soar to 20 percent of America's gross domestic product by 2020. As the population ages, the average retirement age is predicted to reach the mid-70s by the next decade, driving employer health care costs even higher. These scenarios underscore employers' urgent needs to achieve cost control. Nationwide Better Health was formed by combining the expertise and resources of GatesMcDonald(R), a leader in absence and disability management, and FutureHealth(R), a leader in disease, population health and medical management. Both companies now operate under the Nationwide Better Health brand name. Nationwide Better Health also provides employers access to additional ancillary products (supplemental health benefits and financial offerings) from its parent company, Nationwide, along with services from key strategic partners to bring the best package of health and productivity offerings available today. Nationwide Better Health (through its ownership of GatesMcDonald and FutureHealth) has documented measurable results in its program's efforts to reduce costs. Studies of employee participants demonstrate a substantial rate of compliance with their physician's treatment plans (asthma - 95 percent, cardiovascular disease - 91 percent and diabetes - 91 percent), which has a measurable impact on employee health and productivity. Achieving compliance, particularly with lifestyle changes necessary to halt the progression of these chronic diseases, is a difficult challenge and a major problem for many patients. With these kinds of successes, we've reduced average disability durations based on national guidelines by an additional 10-25 percent and have achieved significant medical cost savings for employers. Nationwide Better Health, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with an office location in Hunt Valley, Maryland, is already working with some of the nation's leading companies and millions of their employees. The offering is backed by the reach and power of Nationwide, one of the largest diversified insurance and financial companies in the world. The formation of Nationwide Better Health is central to Nationwide's commitment to be a force in the fast-growing, multi-billion dollar health and productivity market and supports the company's commitment to helping people protect and manage their most important assets, including their health. About Nationwide Better Health Nationwide Better Health provides a better approach to helping employers plan their health and absence management programs more effectively, reduce health care costs and increase productivity. Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $157 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #98 on the Fortune 100 list. The company provides a full range of insurance, financial and health management services. The Nationwide companies include the country's seventh-largest property/casualty, the fourth-largest homeowners, the sixth-largest auto insurance group, and the country's largest farm owners' insurer. Nationwide Life Insurance Company, the major subsidiary of Nationwide Financial, ranks 11th in assets according to A.M. Best. For more information, visit http://www.nationwide.com/betterhealth or call 866-404-NWBH (6924). The Nationwide framework and On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Nationwide Better Health is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Contacts: Terri Wearsch (614) 249-5755 Eric Hardgrove (614) 677-8516 DATASOURCE: Nationwide CONTACT: Terri Wearsch, +1-614-249-5755, or , or Eric Hardgrove, +1-614-677-8516, or , both of Nationwide Web site: http://www.nationwidefinancial.com/ http://www.nationwide.com/betterhealth Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/607050.html

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