‘Best in Class’

CLIFTON  Employees of the Paterson Diocese are being proactive when it comes to their health and are most effective in utilizing their healthcare insurance plans, according to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. For this, Gallagher has presented the Diocese with the 2019 award for “Best in Class” for healthcare costs controls recently. Gallagher is an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm. More than 4,400 companies completed its survey and based upon the results of the survey, it was determined that the Diocese’s plan design and healthcare cost controls were “Best in Class.”

For the Diocese, the recognition of being “Best in Class” was five years in the making according to Bill Rafferty, diocesan executive director of human resources and the benefits office. The wellness program is a contributing factor to controlling costs by ensuring employees take charge of their health. The annual program implemented for those who participate in the Diocesan health plan involves employees following steps for a healthier lifestyle through check-ups, biometric screenings, annual physicals and health surveys.

Rafferty said, “The employees’ participation in the wellness program significantly impacts and helps offer a program that is balanced, sustainable and will continue to be cost effective.”

Currently, about 1,500 employees, plus many with dependents, are covered by the Diocese’s health insurance plan, which is administered by Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Those under the plan include diocesan priests and lay employees of the Chancery, parishes, Catholic schools in the Diocese and the agencies of Catholic Charities. Of note, Rafferty said, “We were recognized as the first Diocese in the country where our priests fully participated in the wellness program.”

An important factor for the controlled costs is that employees are staying “in network” with the Horizon plan utilizing tier 1 physicians, healthcare professionals and hospitals. Through the wellness program and the Horizon plan, members have coverage for eligible preventive services such as annual physical exams, well-child care and immunizations with no member cost sharing when these services are provided by a physician or other health care professional within the Horizon Managed Care Network. To determine if a physician or hospital is in tier 1, members can look at Horizon’s website and access its doctor and hospital finder to review physician tier-status designations for Horizon health plans.

In addition, an even more significant reason in managing healthcare is simply that it is lifesaving. Rafferty recalls when the wellness program was first implemented, it had resistance from some employees. “I remember an employee had just given birth to her second child and she didn’t think she needed to go for a routine physical,” he said. “She felt the doctor had managed all of that and that everything was perfect. She mentioned how lucky and blessed that her and her family was because they did not have a history of cancer or other diseases. A few months later, she told me ‘you saved my life.’ I was humbled. She went for the physical the wellness program required her to do and found out she had earlier than stage-1 cancer cells and if she did not go for that physical and waited six months or a year, it could have been bad. That’s what our program does for the employee.”

Keeping up with that mission, Rafferty said, in July there will be some modifications to the healthcare coverage to better serve the employees and the Diocese.” As we move forward, our plans will always do our best to give excellent coverage and we will always ensure to keep the costs affordable and sustainable,” he said.

In thanking those who participate in the healthcare plan, Rafferty added, “This award is for all those who do everything across the board the right way. The employees are directly responsible for this recognition. My job is easy from the standpoint where I get to coordinate it all and we have wonderful team members. I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who takes the time to understand his or her health and healthcare plans. You are the reason we are able to offer a quality benefit program, which is sustainable and affordable.”