November 6, 2007
BioSignia Gives Companies Bottom Line on Employees'
Health Through Impressive ROI
Research Triangle Park, N.C. - A powerful one-page report developed
by BioSignia can help employees stay healthier longer and save their
employers millions of dollars on healthcare premiums and lost
productivity. Developed by a leading technology company, Know Your
Number is a breakthrough approach BioSignia is referring to as a
disease-specific risk assessment (DRA) tool that transcends standard
health risk assessments (HRA).
Rising healthcare costs are threatening the competitive capabilities
of corporate America. Health insurance premiums since the late
1980's have skyrocketed, while overall inflation and workers
earnings have only increased slightly in comparison. According to a
recent American Institute of Certified Public Accountants survey,
99% of financial executives polled during a recent professional
conference were concerned about rising employee healthcare costs.
In 30 minutes or less, Know Your Number takes information about
employees, such as their weight, blood pressure, lifestyle habits,
and key blood tests, and produces a detailed report on their
specific disease risks. Then, it uses a proprietary technology, Synthesis
Analysis™, to produce a detailed report on an individual's chances of
developing specific diseases within the next few years. It's unlike
any other HRA tool because it uses a multi-dimensional approach by
isolating individual and aggregate data on absolute risk: what is
inherited and cannot be changed; relative risk: how you compare to
your peers; and modifiable risk: things relating to your lifestyle
and habits that you can modify–an individuals' own unique risks–their
health fingerprint.
Know Your Number is different from other HRA's in three ways:
1. It focuses on the main disease killers.
While other assessment tools look at overall health, Know Your
Number predicts an individual's risks of developing the "big five"
chronic preventable disease killers in the U.S.: heart disease,
diabetes, stroke, heart failure and COPD. Traditional HRA tools are
mortality-based (your chances of dying from a disease as compared to
a group of people with the same characteristics). Also, because Know
Your Number measures disease directly, there is a greater chance to
quantify the effects of interventions and impact future health care
costs.
2. It shows what your specific risk is and how to reduce those
risks.
This testing reveals what fraction of a chronic disease risk is
modifiable and lets employees know what factors, e.g. lack of
exercise and smoking, are contributing to the risks of developing
specific chronic conditions. Know Your Number uses a proprietary
technology, Synthesis Analysis, to deliver a multi-dimensional
health risk assessment calculation that looks at all the risks, not
just the overall risk. By singling out avoidable, modifiable, and
non-avoidable risk, Know Your Number provides the steps individuals
can take to significantly reduce their risks.
3. It compares you to your peers through an easy-to-read report.
Only Know Your Number addresses the multiple risk dimensions of
specific chronic diseases unmatched by any HRA tool available. It
also uses statistical software to help you learn how you compare to
your peers. It allows you to understand your risks through a
visually compelling colorful report that also helps individuals
track their progress.
"We've signed contracts with solution providers and channel partners
to reach companies like Waste Management, Chevron, Arvin Meritor,
International Truck, and Pepsi," says Dr. Tim Smith, CEO of
BioSignia. "Designed to help organizations achieve the most for
their investments in preventive health initiatives, Know Your Number
is a necessary tool to include in any companies' health benefits
planning."
Annual healthcare spending in the U.S. is approaching $2 trillion,
approximately 16% of the gross domestic product. Yet, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 60% to
70% are associated with preventable conditions. Through Know Your
Number, the projected five-year cost savings for companies using
this solution with their employees can be very substantial.
The CEO of a paper company could tell you the risk of a forest fire
driving up the price of pulp, but they couldn't tell you what the
risk of high blood pressure means in preventing heart disease among
their employees. Too many Americans aren't aware of their health
risks, but too many of their employers aren't aware of their
companies' bottom line concerning the health of their employees.
Know Your Number fills the gap.
"Every CEO tries to quantify its companies' risk and issues quarterly
reports on their financial health, but when it comes to their
employee's health they are in the dark–companies lack the
quantifiable number," says Smith.
To learn how Know Your Number can help your company's bottom line,
visit: www.biosignia.com.
***
About BioSignia Headquartered in Cary, N.C., BioSignia is a leading technology
and software company focused
on bringing innovative risk assessment modeling solutions to the preventive healthcare
and life insurance underwriting markets. BioSignia's patented
Technology, Synthesis Analysis, provides the underpinnings of the
healthcare application, Know Your Number® (KYN), and life insurance application, Mortality Assessment Technology® (MAT).
This modeling capability represents a quantum leap forward in both morbidity and mortality risk assessment. BioSignia's R&D
team has continued to advance synthesis modeling, continuously updating it to reflect the ever expanding need for better risk
assessment, as well as effective chronic disease prevention, management, and treatment. For more information about BioSignia, visit:
www.biosignia.com. |