Humana Engages Consumers Through New Games for Health Initiatives

Business Wire,  May 8, 2008  

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* Humana - first health insurer to sponsor gaming conference

* Fitness challenge among middle school students produces millions of steps

* Website debuts for Humana's Games for Health initiative

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) today announced it is launching the website www.humanagames.com as part of its strategy to impact consumers positively through a new medium: Games for Health. As part of the same strategy, Humana also recently partnered with schools in Kentucky and Florida for pilot programs involving student fitness and game technology.

"We're pleased to be moving forward in this exciting new space so quickly with these latest initiatives," said Paul Puopolo, director of consumer innovation at Humana. "This new website and our school programs are the first of many opportunities that we've tested and identified as areas where Humana can connect the health of consumers with a technology they enjoy. We are committed to creating new ways for people of all ages to reach new levels of health through games and entertainment."

The website officially launches today in parallel with the fourth annual national Games for Health Conference in Baltimore. The site serves as an interactive brochure and provides information on Humana's programs, mission and vision, as well as details on the health benefits of game technology. Users can explore a discoverable environment that highlights the many applications of games with healthy benefits. The site also includes instructions on how to contact Humana's Games for Health team to partner on future game development or to order games from the program.

Humana is the industry sponsor of the Games for Health Conference, marking the first time a health insurer has sponsored the event. At the conference, Humana has organized and will participate in the keynote panel with other health insurers to assess games for health opportunities. Humana is also hosting the "Exergaming Expo Room" as well as a space for health game developers and others in the industry to discuss new initiatives.

"If we want to make use of Games to the fullest extent as a medium to improve health and health behavior, we need to continue the interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration between the healthcare industry, research communities, game developers and other stakeholders," said Dr. Miguel Encarnacao, director of Emerging Technology Applications for Humana and architect of its Games for Health initiative. "While the results of our early pilot programs are promising, there is still a long way ahead of us. Further research and business case development needs to be conducted. This conference is a pivotal starting point and we are looking forward to seeing what comes out of this conference."

In an effort to engage students with their health and games, Humana launched the HorsePower Challenge for 100 students at five middle schools in its headquarters city of Louisville, Kentucky. Each of the students wore pedometers for four weeks and their activity levels were measured and recorded.

At the end of the challenge, the students had walked a collective 6,364 miles, a 10 percent increase over the previous four weeks, and the equivalent of walking from Louisville to Anchorage, Alaska and back! 62 percent of the students reported that they exercised more than usual because of the challenge. More than half of the students said they got their families to exercise with them and 45 percent of them said they even started eating healthier during the challenge.

As part of the challenge, students' activity levels powered their school's buses past landmarks around the world through an online game. Based on their step count, the students earned points to customize their school's bus and accessorize their online character. The team from the winning school, St. Athanasius, walked 1,480 miles and received two game bikes. The other four schools received gift cards for sporting equipment.

A program with middle school students in Broward County, Florida was launched in late 2007 using dance pad technology, an electronic dance mat in place of a mouse or a game controller to play the game. Those students are still participating in the program and have continued to expand their programs' reach throughout the school.

Humana's next initiative in the Games for Health space involves a pilot study at three senior facilities around the country. Healthy seniors will be evaluated on exergames that use dance pad technology designed for an older population.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 11.4 million medical members. Humana is a full-service benefits solutions company, offering a wide array of health and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals.

Over its 47-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.