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Teachers Health Fund Members to Receive Personalized Well-Being Programs and Chronic Care Management Support from Healthways

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^{Published in Health and Fitness on Tuesday, July 13th 2010 at 3:42 GMT by Market Wire}  

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Teachers Health Fund, the 7^th largest private health insurer in Australia, announced today that more than 200,000 of its members will now have access to the latest personalized, web-based and telephonic health support services in a partnership with Healthways Australia, a fully owned subsidiary of Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY).

"to support members to achieve their best possible health outcomes"

Teachers Health Fund is a national, not-for-profit health insurer, exclusively servicing the education community. Healthways Australia is the Australian operations of Healthways International; a global well-being improvement company providing personalized population health support services, chronic care management, care coordination, post-hospitalization support and workplace wellness.

aMembers will gain access to information and tools to improve their quality of life and reduce the risk of future health problems,a said Teachers Health Fund CEO, Brad Joyce. aThis total health solution offers teachers an innovative approach to managing their own health and well-being, important for their own quality of life and for their ongoing commitment to the future of our childrena�s education.a

Teachers Health Fund will also be looking at how to assist members after hospital visits for conditions such as hip and knee surgery, by using the partnership with Healthways to offer services at home.a

Healthways Australia offers a comprehensive suite of telephonic and web-based personal health resources, including customized information, risk assessments, health coaching, chronic care management and personal health records.

Services available to Teachers Health Fund members under the chronic care support program will focus on prevention, better medication compliance, health literacy, behavior change, as well as drive adherence to proven standards of care, medication and general practitioner care plans. These programs are designed to support an individual managing their health and well-being, resulting in improved health outcomes and reduced costs.

aThe Healthways program is the most comprehensive of its type in Australia and will contribute to improving the health and well-being of all Teachers Health Fund members,a said Healthways Australia Managing Director Timothy Morphy. aAs we know, chronic disease is the tsunami coming through our health system.a

Healthways Australia has already enrolled over 25,000 Australians in its chronic care management program through its programs with Hospital Contributions Fund.

aApproximately 70 percent of the total burden of disease in Australia is attributable to six chronic disease groups, all of which have the potential to be either prevented or managed in home settings rather than requiring hospital care,a Morphy said. aAs the Minister for Health recently pointed out, Australiahas one of the highest hospitalization rates in the world.Keeping people healthier, supporting them to manage their chronic disease and thereby keeping them out of hospital is a win-win situation for all concerned.a

With our recent partnering with the Royal District Nursing Service, we now have the capacity to provide nationwide comprehensive and integrated out-of-hospital nursing and allied health services, together with telephonic and web based health support and telemonitoring,a Morphy concluded.

About Teachers Health Fund

Teachers Health Fund is a national, not-for-profit private health insurer designed exclusively for the education community. Established in 1954 by a group of forward-thinking teachers, the fund now covers teachers and support staff from all education unions throughout Australia, and the families of those eligible members. Today, Teachers Health Fund continues to grow with over 96,000 policy holders, making it the seventh largest private health insurer in Australia and the largest of all the arestricted access fundsa�. As Teachers Health Fund continues to grow and the health insurance landscape transforms, the funda�s vision ato be the first choice health insurer for all eligible membersa, remains unaltered. Its mission ato support members to achieve their best possible health outcomesa remains central to its strategy and operation. It is for this reason that the fund has retained many of its members from 1954 a" a testament of the member loyalty and the good health that Teachers Health Fund aims to support. Visit [ www.teachershealth.com.au ] for more information about Teachers Health Fund.

About Healthways

Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and well-being and, as a result, reduce overall costs. Healthways' solutions are designed to keep healthy people healthy, mitigate or eliminate lifestyle risk factors that can lead to disease and optimize care for those with chronic illness. Our proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Healthways also provides a national, fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network and a national Fitness Center Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional healthcare system. For more information, please visit [ www.healthways.com ], or [ www.healthways.com/australia ].

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