IBM Takes Health Care Seriously

On a day when the House Democrats rolled out their long-awaited health care bill, one that will reportedly guarantee that "96 percent of Americans have coverage," IBM made its own mark by announcing that it will provide its US employees with full primary care coverage as of 2010. According to this CSRwire release, that means "[e]mployees enrolled in IBM plans will receive full coverage throughout the year — no coinsurance or deductible — for in-network primary care with their internist, family practitioner, pediatrician, general practitioner or primary osteopath."

In addition, IBM also announced it's encouraging healthy changes in the lifestyles of its employees with a new wellness incentive. The rebate of $150 will be available to all the company's full-time US employees, as part of its wellness rebate program that "rewards employees and their children for exercise, healthy eating and other healthy behaviors." The new rebate is called the Personal Vitality Rebate, with the hope that employees will think in "broader holistic terms" about their health. That would include such practices as "good sleep habits, effective stress management and proper nutrition."

According to the release, IBM is "among the first US companies to cover primary care at 100 percent," and both programs mentioned above will take effect the start of next year. With so much uncertainty surrounding health care, it's nice to hear some good news on the subject, and with a large company like IBM instituting employee-friendly policies, it'll be interesting to see if more companies decide to follow their lead.

Photo courtesy of National Cancer Institute, via Wikimedia Commons