MEABT at a glance
First established in 1993 by the Maine Education Association, the Maine Education Association Benefits Trust (MEABT) is an employee welfare benefit plan. The MEABT provides coverage to active educators, retired educators, related personnel, and their spouses throughout the State of Maine. Coverage includes medical, hospital, surgical, prescription coverage, and related health benefits. With the help of 90 Wellness Ambassadors, MEABT supports 58,000 eligible members (employees, spouses, and retirees) from 180 districts.
Challenges
MEABT knew they faced a few challenges with launching a health and wellbeing program, including not having a single hub or platform for communication. They also sought to build a sustainable Wellness Ambassadors network as well as integrate health and wellbeing into their organizational culture.
MEABT Personify Health program design
• Points and levels game with Quarterly Drawings
• They’ve created a holistic wellbeing experience by:
- Integrating RethinkCare, a Personify Health partner
- Offering Health Check and Health Coaching
- Supporting the Wellness Ambassadors program,
- Running Custom Challenges
- Leveraging the social features of the platform
• For Incentives, members accumulate points each quarter to earn up to $62.50 per quarter, totaling $250 per year.
- MEABT also selects two winners of $50 additional Personify Health Cash in a quarterly drawing for members who reach Level 2 and above.
- For fun, they implemented a “Secret Level 5” that members unlock after completing Level 4. Upon completion of Secret Level 5, members earn a chance at one of five drawings each for $50 Personify Health Cash.
- Personify Health Cash can be redeemed for Gift Cards, used in the Personify Health Store, or donated to charity.
Opportunity
MEABT wanted to encourage their members to engage with their program daily through gamification and Challenges, so, they turned to Personify Health for support in creating a personalized member experience with:
- Enhancement in how program engagement is defined and measured
- Highlighted Wellness Ambassadors importance
- Identified and implemented drivers for engagement
Solutions: An engagement strategy boosted by local MEABT peers & relevant Challenges
With the goal of creating a personalized, best-in-class health and wellbeing program, MEABT partnered with Personify Health to develop a program that compelled their members to join and support each other in practicing healthier lifestyle habits and engaging in health plan programs and services.
Personify Health helped MEABT to establish a strong Ambassador network as well as build a robust communication and promotion strategy.
MEABT promoted their program through onsite physical marketing materials, worked with Personify Health on custom digital communications and marketing support, and local promotions by their Wellness Ambassadors network.
Wellness Ambassadors
Ambassadors are teachers, administrators, admins, counselors, nurses, librarians, and food services staff who have a passion for wellbeing.
Leading by example, these Ambassadors:
• Promote and bring awareness about the program to their colleagues
• Work with Personify Health on location-specific Challenges
• Share resources like newsletters, printed promotions, and emails
Custom Destination Challenges
With gamification as a goal, MEABT used Challenges to inspire friendly competition and foster a supportive culture.
One way to make Challenges more relevant to members is with Custom Challenges. Since the outdoors are a big part of life in Maine, their members enjoyed Custom Step Challenges like Maine Hikes or the State Parks of Maine.
Solutions to elevate MEABT’s program, including Personify Health Coaching, a mental health partner, & meaningful incentives
Another way to boost engagement is to enhance your program offerings with additional support and resources. MEABT knew their members would benefit from having a dedicated resource to offer guidance around healthy eating and fitness, to financial wellbeing and sleep hygiene. MEABT also offers RethinkCare, a Personify Health partner, to expand their mental health and wellbeing support.
To further encourage and entice members to participate, MEABT uses a multi-prong incentives strategy. The more a member participates, the more points they earn. This opens more opportunities to earn additional Pulse Cash, which can be redeemed for Gift Card, Personify Health Store, or donated to charity.
Lifestyle Health Coaching
Through Lifestyle Health Coaching, MEABT members get support with:
• Tobacco cessation
• Healthy eating
• Physical activity
• Weight management
• Money mindfulness
• Reducing stress
• Sleeping well
“My coach is great! She helps me stay focused on my goals and keeps me accountable.”
RethinkCare, a Personify Health Partner
MEABT offers their members additional mental health and wellbeing support to ensure they are strong and balanced in both mind and body.
RethinkCare offers MEABT members several courses on meditation, building emotional intelligence, improvingmental health, and yoga.
Incentives Strategy
To inspire engagement, meaningful incentives are a vital part of MEABT’s program design.
• Members accumulate points each quarter to earn up to $62.50 per quarter, totaling $250 per year
• MEABT selects two winners of $50 additional Pulse Cash in a quarterly drawing for members who reach Level 2 and above
• For fun, they implemented a “Secret Level 5” that members unlock after completing Level 4. Upon completion of Secret Level 5, members earn a chance at one of five drawings each for $50.00 Pulse Cash.
• Gift Days allow members to earn 10,000 additional bonus points. Members need to record an action on the Gift Day (a randomly selected date). The more actions tracked daily, the greater the odds of earning.
Results: 2022-2023 Program Year in Review
With the support of their Wellness Ambassadors, MEABT developed a robust program that provides its members with a rewarding and engaging health and wellbeing experience. With support to help them boost their physical activity levels, better manage their health, and offer encouragement to peers, members love the program and recognize the value it brings to MEABT.