Texas group launches health strategy program

DALLAS—A new program to help employers ensure their health benefits improve the health of their employees has been launched by the Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health.

The Texas Health Strategy Project is part of the American Health Strategy Project, a national initiative sponsored by the Washington-based National Business Coalition on Health, which was designed to improve the health of employees and their families, promote wellness and prevention, and better manage health care costs.

Initially, nine employers are participating in the Texas program: Archon Group L.P., Brinker International Inc., City of McKinney, City of Mesquite, Energy Future Holdings Corp., Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Haggar Clothing Co., Interstate Battery System of America and Triumph Group Inc.'s Triumph Aerostructures unit.

The program will help these employers implement a value-based approach to benefits design to ensure that their workforce has access to high-quality, evidence-based and cost-effective health care by reducing barriers, such as waiving copayments, to essential services.

In addition, the participating employers will take part in a structured process to analyze and evaluate which value-based benefit design features best motivate their employees to make wise lifestyle and health care decisions.