Humana Contact:
Nate Kvamme
Director
Innovation Center – Integrated Consumer Experience

Humana’s Mission

Humana Inc. is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 11.3 million medical members.  Humana offers health insurance products and related services to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals.  For more information about Humana Inc., visit www.humana.com.

Wellness Philosophy

Over its 46-year history, Humana has 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.
“Humana is leading by example in promoting environmental conservation, sustainability, and health by encouraging our associates to increase their physical activity and reduce their carbon footprint,” said Grant Harrison, vice president of Humana’s Integrated Consumer Experience. “Freewheelin is about freedom. You can express yourself in a new and healthy way while helping your health and the environment.”

Project Description

In September 2007, Humana launched a first-of-its-kind bicycle program for its 8,500 associates in Louisville.  The program – called Freewheelin – encourages Humana associates to incorporate healthy habits and activities into their daily routines.  Whether it’s riding a bike to meetings, to work, or to lunch, the program is about being healthier and “greener” in everyday life.

The program has “cruiser style” three-speed bikes with automatic shifters and “commuter-style” bikes designed for longer treks, such as for commuting or lunchtime recreational rides. The system uses Trek’s Lime bikes — top-of-the-line, safe, and easy to use.

With safety is a top priority, helmets are provided for every biker, many of them generously donated by and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson’s Healthy Hometown program.  Freewheelin incorporates working partnerships across the private sector, public sector, and the biking industry.  Humana, the City of Louisville, and Trek hope to inspire other communities to put together similar programs to improve America’s health and environment. Freewheelin is being piloted in Louisville and will be evaluated for expansion to other Humana locations.

Humana, which employs 25,000 people nationwide, partnered with Trek Bicycles and Louisville mayor Jerry Abramson to bring the $70,000 program to life.  Local bike shop Scheller’s Fitness and Cycling provides bike education and maintains the bikes.   Employees swipe their ID card to check out a Trek Lime bike from several different loan stations, CycleStations, designed by Canadian firm QI Systems, Inc which are powered by solar panels mounted on the bike racks.

Humana provides employees a magnetic access card to check out the bikes as well as a helmet. CycleStation secures the bikes with a unique locking mechanism that verifies vehicle location, checks the unit in and out, and bills for usage.  And CycleStation collects data such as distance traveled per trip, how long the bike was checked out, what it was used for and the demographics of the rider.  Humana’s operations are scattered among a number of downtown buildings, and employees frequently use the bikes to travel between them, to ride to lunch or just take cruise around on their break for some exercise.

Program Results

• 12 percent of those who participated said it was their first time on a bike
• 50 percent said they want to introduce activity into their work day
• 76 percent of rides are taken during a work break
• 40 percent of bikes are taken home during the weekend

In addition, Humana found that more women than men signed up for the program.  The organization plans to add more bikes and bike stations and sees Freewheelin’ as a “real opportunity” because it touches on things people care about—their health score and their carbon score.

Special Considerations

The accountability that is in place with employees using their identification cards counters what has sunk other bike lending programs, i.e., people not taking care of or not returning bikes.  Before credit card swipes were available to check out bikes in municipal programs in Paris or Amersterdam, loss of and damage to the bikes was too common to make the programs viable.

Dollars raised by people willing to exercise for a good cause grew 12.1 percent in 2007 and are expected to grow at a similar rate in 2008, according to the Run Walk Ride. Benefit bicycle rides are great group rides and they support a good cause.  Some events require a registration fee and collection of pledges and others charge a registration fee and donate a portion of their proceeds. Some rides attract several hundred riders or more. It’s a great opportunity for co-workers, families, friends and cycling enthusiasts to get together and cycle.

Company Sponsorship of Benefit Rides

Companies and organizations can sponsor or host an event.  Some companies offer matching gift programs for contributions made by employees. Other organizations support a workplace bicycle team and provide a time and place to meet as well as funding for training and participation.

Bicycle Safety is a Priority

The safety of all riders participating in a benefit ride is extremely critical to the sponsoring organizations as well as to the organization the benefit ride supports. To keep the ride a safe and enjoyable experience, bicycle riders must be prepared for the event; training can start months in advance of the ride.

In 2006, the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) partnered with the National MS Society to launch a group riding curriculum specifically to train ride leaders and participants in group-riding-specific skills. The program led to an increase in safety awareness among bike benefit ride participants and an annual decrease in rider-related medical transports. Visit the LAB site at www.bikeleague.org.

At a minimum, benefit cyclists must be familiar with the rules of the road, practice group riding, break in any new gear like clothes, shoes, and helmets, wear a helmet AT ALL TIMES, yield to other riders as they try to pass, ride friendly and respect the communities that you ride through.

To get started!

Assess your current fitness level and create a training plan that fits with your schedule. Start slowly and gradually increase your mileage. A good rule to follow is to increase by no more than 10 percent each week. Whether you’ve chosen a 25, 50 or 100-mile course, train on the bike you’ll be using for the event.

The Bike MS Express Scripts Gateway Getaway Ride 2008-Missouri

This ride event offers safe cycling programs to riders for physical, mental and technical training.  Organizers provide a series of training rides and a Cycle University available at local sponsoring bike shops to learn from bike shop personnel about bike maintenance, safety, rules of the road and a variety of other topics to help participants ride safely.

The group also has a Safety Certified quiz to ensure that participating cyclists know the rules of the road and are prepared to cycle safely. Cyclists receive a Safety Certified sticker to attach to their bib number at the ride. The team with the highest percentage of riders Safety Certified receives the Team Safety Award at the Awards Party.  For further information on this program visit their website at: http://bikemos.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_MOS_ CyclingSafety

The Monsanto Mavericks Cycling Team

The team is comprised of Monsanto employees, their families, and their friends with representation from nearly every functional department within the company. Monsanto organizes teams in conjunction with multiple MS150 Bike Tours sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). They have teams across the nation (Saint Louis, California, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Canada). The MS150 Bike Tour is an annual fundraising event held in many parts of the United States. We are Mavericks Saint Louis, Mavericks West, Mavericks Augusta, Mavericks Mystic, others… Visit their website at:  www.monsantomavericks.org/2008MS150/home_2008.htm to see how this company organizes and trains their cycling teams.