May 25, 2011
Tom Canty, Vice President Sales, Empire BlueCross BlueShield
Most of us agree, there have been times when we’ve needed a coach. Our closets are a mess and our bank account, even more so. Marital bliss is far from effortless, and our own teenage angst was a walk in the park compared to what we’re currently living with.
And yet, while family health doesn’t top our list, according to a new Empire BlueCross BlueShield survey, sometimes this kind of guidance is exactly what we need. Disability can happen to any of us at any time. In fact, the actual odds that a new worker will experience a long term disability before retirement are one in three.
In times like this, Empire offers a health coach. Is this Vince Lombardi? No. Oprah? She is booked. However, 25 percent of those surveyed said they’d like to have Vince Lombardi or Oprah herself coach them through their trials and tribulations…someone who provides encouragement, gives incentives and pushes them hard.
So, as members, if you file a short term disability claim, you can now be paired with a health coach who is also a registered nurse. He or she will become your health advocate, coordinating your clinical care, as well as the recovery and return to work plan. Your health coach will also follow up with you after your return to work to make sure everything is going well.
Half of all Americans and even more parents admit they can’t afford to be sidelined by health issues for three months or more. And, unplanned absences cost employers $74 billion and 2.8 million lost work hours per year. So, if you find yourself looking at taking short term disability, just know Empire’s got your back.
