Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in Detroit Monday announced that it will launch its new Virtual Well-Being program on Jan. 1, 2019. The program will offer employers and members access to live, weekly well-being webinars and downloadable health resources.
Virtual Well-Being offers employees and their dependents live 10-15-minute weekly webinars hosted by a virtual well-being coordinator who will explain and post downloadable content on topics such as financial well-being, emotional health, exercise, nutrition, and meditation.
“The health of our members is a top priority at Blue Cross, so we’re excited about offering this innovative program that will focus on how they can improve their overall well-being,” says Cindy Bjorkquist, well-being programs director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
“Not only is the Virtual Well-Being program easily accessible for members looking to enhance their mental and physical health, but it’s also a convenient solution for employers to learn best practices for building, complementing, or enhancing their onsite well-being program.”
Employers are also offered direction and exercises to improve employee performance, engagement, and morale, as well as attract and maintain talent. Workplace well-being programs have been shown to positively affect productivity, absenteeism, morale, and overall health care costs.
“Being mindful and practicing a greater state of well-being will help our members face day-to-day challenges both at home and at work, but many people aren’t sure how to start down a path of improving their well-being,” says Bjorkquist. “The virtual coordinator will guide members through engaging topics on how to improve their well-being, which will include mindfulness training and changing their brain’s default setting to increase happiness, gratitude, and creativity, as well as other positive benefits.”
Members can view the webinars live or access the downloadable content from the Virtual Well-being landing page.
The Blue Cross Health and Wellness website, powered by WebMD, includes other tools and information, including an interactive health assessment, digital health assistant programs, and fitness trackers. More information is available here.