NASHVILLE, Tenn. & RIO DE JANEIRO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY) and SulAmérica, the largest independent health insurer in Brazil, have entered into a new five-year agreement to launch Latin America’s most comprehensive private health and well-being improvement program. Through its collaboration with Healthways, SulAmérica will help its 2 million members make the sustained lifestyle changes that lead to longer, healthier lives while reducing overall healthcare costs.
“SulAmérica recognizes the critical importance of a comprehensive approach to well-being improvement, because people with higher well-being cost less and perform better,” said SulAmérica vice-president Mauricio Lopes. “We selected Healthways as our strategic partner because the company’s science-based solutions have been proven to generate positive health impacts for individuals and productivity impacts for employers. In addition, the company has an excellent track record of consistent program refinement, expansion and innovation. Our collaboration to date has proven that we have the right partner in Healthways, and we are excited to take our relationship to a new level in supporting our long-term growth.”
In April, the two organizations announced their strategic agreement to drive well-being and performance improvement for employers and individuals in Brazil. The agreement marked the largest population ever managed in a single private contract in Latin America. As the first step in the jointly developed progression plan, a portion of SulAmérica’s membership participated in Healthways’ Well-Being Assessment™ to measure their well-being status.
Today’s announcement represents the next major milestone in this collaboration. Under the terms of this new agreement, Healthways and SulAmérica will launch programs in 2014 designed to help SulAmérica members understand their unique well-being scores, then subsequently address opportunities for improvement through personalized plans and tailored programs as the five-year agreement progresses.
According to Healthways president and chief executive officer Ben R. Leedle, Jr., “Brazil’s private healthcare insurance system is the second largest in the world, covering almost 25% of the population. SulAmérica has been at the forefront of health management innovation in this market for over a decade. Healthways is honored to partner with SulAmérica to bring its members proven programs that avoid the progression of chronic diseases and help people live healthier, happier and more productive lives. This, in turn, translates to greater value for SulAmérica’s employer clients, who can reap the benefits of higher performing employees, such as competitive differentiation and improved financial performance.”
About Healthways
Healthways is the largest independent global provider of well-being improvement solutions. Dedicated to creating a healthier world one person at a time, the Company uses the science of behavior change to produce and measure positive change in well-being for our customers, which include employers, integrated health systems, hospitals, physicians, health plans, communities, and government entities. We provide highly specific and personalized support for each individual and their team of experts to optimize each participant’s health and productivity and to reduce health-related costs. Results are achieved by addressing longitudinal health risks and care needs of everyone in a given population. The Company has scaled its proprietary technology infrastructure and delivery capabilities developed over 30 years and now serves approximately 40 million people on four continents. Learn more at www.healthways.com.
About SulAmérica
SulAmérica, with over 117 years of history, is the largest independent insurer in Brazil and is listed since 2007 on the BM&FBovespa exchange under the ticker SULA11. With a multiline insurance model approach, SulAmérica is one of the largest healthcare operators in Brazil and the largest listed healthcare player, with a full portfolio of health and dental plans. The company is also one of the largest automobile insurers in the country. In the first nine months of 2013, the company registered R$ 10.6 billion in total consolidated revenues, a growth of 14% over 2012. With over 7 million customers, SulAmérica operates in several insurance lines, private pension, asset management, and savings bonds.
