Lose Weight, Get a Toaster

The latest innovation in health plans.

By Bobbie Gossage |  @bobbiegossage   | 
 

If you've ever spent five hours playing Skee-Ball just to win a stuffed animal, have we got an insurance plan for you. Destiny Health, an insurer that offers consumer-driven health plans for small businesses, is now offering something called the Vitality program, which awards points to participants who take care of themselves. For instance, enrolling in a smoking cessation program is worth 3,000 points, which can then be redeemed for material rewards like consumer electronics, movie tickets, magazine subscriptions, and vacation packages. Points can also be converted into frequent-flier miles on three airlines. Companies whose employees each earn more than 45,000 points a year qualify for discounted insurance. Destiny, which is based in Oak Brook, Ill., created the program to encourage workers to seek preventive medical care. Offering winnings for wellness is a rising trend, according to an industry trade group. Aetna, Oxford Health Plans, and PacifiCare have recently launched similar programs.

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