Brown-Forman Gets Perfect Score on Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index

Brown-Forman said it received a perfect score of 100 points out of 100 in this year's Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index (CEI), an increase of 15 points over last year's tally of 85 points.

According to a release, a total of 615 businesses were rated this year. The average rating across the entire index was 87 percent, compared to 86 percent last year. Companies are evaluated for their policies and practices affecting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) employees.

"Brown-Forman has long supported the GLBT community and receiving a perfect score is an indicator of our continued commitment to equality in the workplace," said Brown-Forman Chief Diversity Officer Ralph de Chabert. "Brown-Forman is an inclusive organization that seeks to learn from the diverse backgrounds and unique talents each of our employees brings to the table."

Last year, Brown-Forman said it implemented domestic partner benefits regardless of gender or sexual orientation; created employee resource groups for GLBT, African-American, Hispanic, and female employees; began requiring mandatory training of all employees on diversity and sexual orientation in the workplace; amended its nondiscrimination policy to include transgender and sexual identity expression; and stipulated that its travel & entertainment and relocation policies could not exclude GLBT employees and/or their partners on that basis.

According to a release, the Human Rights Campaign is a civil rights organization that works to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equality. The HRC is perhaps best known for its annual Corporate Equality Index, hrc.org, released each fall that provides an in-depth analysis and rating of U.S. employers and their policies and practices relating to GLBT employees.

Brown-Forman Corp. provides beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Jack Daniel's & Cola, Canadian Mist, Fetzer, Korbel, Gentleman Jack, el Jimador, Tequila Herradura, Sonoma-Cutrer, Chambord, New Mix, Tuaca, Woodford Reserve, and Bonterra.

More Information:

www.brown-forman.com/.

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-Medica Rolls Out Personalized Products and Programs for 2011 Open Enrollment

Medica said it is offering a number of new programs and products during 2011 open enrollment this fall designed to engage members in their health care decisions while personalizing their experience.

The Company said the offerings range from programs that customize health information a member receives and reward healthy behaviors to a new consumer-directed health plan product. For employers offering the programs, and their employees who participate in them, the incentives could include lower premium contributions, enriched benefits and financial rewards.

In a release, the Company noted the new programs and products:

New online health assessment drives personalization

A central feature of Medica's new programs is a new, research-backed health assessment that is proprietary to Medica. It identifies members' knowledge, skills and confidence levels for managing their health _ valuable insights that help Medica better tailor support for each individual. Eligible members age 18 and older take the assessment the first time they sign on to Medica's newly redesigned online health and wellness center.

Through Medica's new online health and wellness center, members will be encouraged to complete eight health topics. The topics are suited to each member's ability as identified in the health assessment.

Personalized scorecards

Another personalized feature of Medica's new offerings is a scorecard that allows members to follow the status of their health in a simplified manner. The program creates personalized scorecards with health actions tailored to each individual through an evaluation of claims data, biometric results and health assessments. The scorecard captures preventive cancer screenings based on age and gender. Additionally, it will identify disease-specific care requirements and highlight corresponding gaps in care. Members will receive incentives and rewards for completing the health action items on their scorecard. The scorecard is accessed through Medica's online health and wellness center.

Biometric screening

Biometric screening is one way to assess risk for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Medica said it is promoting the screenings in workplace settings. During a biometric screening, a health professional collects a drop of blood to measure cholesterol and glucose. In addition, the health professional will measure body mass index, height, weight and blood pressure. Results are available immediately and health education and wellness resources are provided to each participant. Like other Medica programs that provide personalized results, members who have a biometric screening are rewarded for their participation.

Medica Personal Rewards

Depending on the benefit package designed by their employers, members who participate in the above programs could be rewarded with gift cards, lower premium contributions, richer benefits and improvements in their health and well-being. It's all part of a reward program called Member Personal Rewards, the Company reports..

Employers, meanwhile, have the opportunity to be rewarded with healthier, more productive employees, rate guarantees and reduced premiums.

Physician Transparency Program

In addition to programs that personalize members' health care experience, Medica said it is introducing a new physician transparency program for care and cost information. Medica Premium Designation uses evidence-based, medical society and national industry standards to evaluate individual physicians across 20 specialties for quality and cost efficiency. Physicians who achieve a quality rating will receive one star, while physicians achieving both quality and cost-efficiency ratings will receive two stars. Physicians need to achieve a quality rating before being evaluated for cost efficiency.

CDHP with OptumHealth Financial

In 2011, Medica said it would also offer a new slate of consumer-directed health plans (CDHP). It has teamed with OptumHealth Financial Services (OptumHealth) to deliver enhanced CDHP solutions to customers of all sizes. This exclusive partnership with OptumHealth includes CDHPs integrated with Health Savings Accounts, Healthcare Reimbursement Accounts, and Flexible Savings Accounts and also offers retiree solutions and COBRA administration.

Medica is a health insurance company. The non-profit company provides health care coverage in the employer, individual, Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Part D markets in Minnesota and a growing number of counties in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Medica also offers national network coverage to employers who also have employees outside the Medica regional network.