It is nice to know that some insurance companies can also have a social conscience and join the fight against obesity. We have already featured one such initiative – Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative.
Another initiative is called the Alliance for a Healthier Generation which is a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. The initiative recently announced the formation of the Alliance Healthcare Initiative – indeed an alliance between health groups, leading insurance companies, and other big corporations in fighting a common enemy – childhood obesity.
The Initiative offers comprehensive health benefits to children, obese or otherwise and the benefits will cover medical costs and professional dietary consultation. Doctors and registered dietitians will be reimbursed for closely following up children with obesity problems. In addition, it runs educational campaigns about childhood obesity and the holistic approach to fight it.
During its first year, the special benefits will be open to 1 million children all over the US. This will then be increased with the goal for the first 3 years to cover 25% of overweight children (equivalent to about 6.2 million children).
Behind the Alliance is none other than former President Bill Clinton (founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and American Heart Association President, Tim Gardner.
This is the first, and therefore a landmark initiative that involves insurers and corporate employers of America.
Some of the insurers who signed up for the initiative are Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and WellPoint.
Corporate supporters of the initiatve are Houston Independent School District, Owens Corning, Paychex and PepsiCo.
With these Initiatives fighting childhood obesity from different front, we might just have some hope in winning the battle.