This week’s New York Times featured a front page business section story on the partnership between UnitedHealth Group and the Y.M.C.A. They are joining forces, together with retail pharmacies, to help people at risk for diabetes decrease their chances of developing the disease through weight loss, healthier diet and regular exercise. The Times called the partners an “odd couple.”

We’ve seen odder couples at our son’s soccer matches.

Health insurance companies are often the ideal partners for awareness and wellness programs like the one described in the article. The health-conscious and those who eat right, exercise, maintain appropriate weight and stay on top of their conditions do not file ever-growing medical claims. Talk about your motivation.

The Y has a long-standing heritage nationally and in communities for providing access to health, fitness. Add in the retail-pharmacy and pharmacists, both trusted sources, and you’ve got a winning combination.

In this diabetes program, UnitedHealth Group is paying the Y.M.C.A and pharmacists to keep people healthier. Also odd? We don’t think so. These programs cost money. The budget needs to come from somewhere. The bean counters at UnitedHealth Group must have done the math and realized that more well people will result in lower premiums all around. Further, the costs for the effort are far outweighed by the mid-and long-term financial and other benefits such as goodwill, good PR, positive relationships and, most importantly, healthier people with reduced diabetes risk.

Sometimes it’s the least likely bedfellows that result in the most meaningful partnerships. Once the value proposition is laid out, the benefits to all parties made clear, a game plan agreed and roles and responsibilities divided, it is surprising how like-minded organizations with seemingly disparate goals are.

We’ve put together very effective collaborations for our pharma clients with managed care plans, community pharmacies, retail chains, employers, employer groups, churches, non-profit health organizations, among others. Sometimes it’s a twosome; occasionally a threesome. We’ve also done foursomes. To say that there was sometimes skepticism at first would be an understatement, but in all cases, it didn’t take long for the parties to realize the upsides and team up. It’s not that we’re so clever. Our position is simply that common ground can be found when it comes to enhancing health awareness, understanding and action, regardless of the business objectives of the players. It shouldn’t matter if you’re for profit or not-for-profit so long as there’s a worthy endgame. Which makes it odd that it would seem so odd to work together.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 18th, 2010 at 6:37 pm and is filed under Public Relations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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