Gearhart Insurance Helps Companies Further Gain Control of Health Insurance Costs by Incorporating Results-Based Wellness Incentives from Bravo Wellness

CLEVELAND–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Gearhart Insurance Agency, a leader in employee benefit solutions and results-based wellness programs, has been selected by Simonton Windows, a Fortune Brands Company, to assist in mitigating the escalating costs of health insurance with innovative benefit plans. Gearhart Insurance has been able to lower health insurance costs for its clients by partnering with Bravo Wellness to incorporate incentive-based wellness programs into its client’s plan designs.

Robert Jacobs, Vice President of Human Resources of Simonton Windows, states, “We are continually faced with increasing healthcare costs, and in working with our consultants at Gearhart Insurance to optimize our benefit plans, we selected Bravo Wellness to implement a results-based wellness program. With Bravo’s help, we quickly implemented our program with over 99% employee participation in this voluntary program. With proper design and incentives, we expect to fully recover our implementation costs and we now have hard data about the overall health and wellness of our employees and a clear path to remediation and future cost savings. We expect to realize measurable returns both from bottom line cost and employee satisfaction perspectives.”

“We recognize that over seventy-five percent of claims are directly related to lifestyle, and we have designed plans to incent healthy behaviors and give employees the option to lower costs for areas within their control,” says Joe Ceccacci, Partner of Gearhart Insurance. “One of our clients in the manufacturing business, similar to Simonton, now is in its fourth year of such a program, and they have seen measurable improvement in year over year claim costs. Over the last three years, their claims have decreased an average of 14% per year. For 2008, their per capita claim cost declined over 25% from 2007.”

“Results-based wellness programs are a win-win for both the employee and employer,” says Jim Pshock, President of Bravo Wellness. “Providing employees with a choice of benefit plan designs based on their participation in wellness programs and their individual results helps them recognize a direct connection between their health and the cost of benefits.”

About Gearhart Insurance Agency

Gearhart Insurance is a regional health insurance broker that began in 1991 as a health care claims administration company. In 1998 the administration company grew into a full service health and life insurance agency. Today, we have a national presence representing a diverse group of companies ranging from small privately held firms to some of the nation’s largest manufacturers. We are experienced and qualified to assist our clients with evaluating and purchasing the right health insurance program to meet the needs of their employees. For information, call (800) 806-4359 or visit www.gearhartinsuranceagency.com.

About Simonton Windows

Founded in 1946, Simonton’s hallmark has been to deliver its made-to-order products in seven days or less. Part of consumer products company Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), Simonton has manufacturing facilities in Pennsboro, Harrisville and Ellenboro, W.Va.; Paris, Ill.; McAlester, Okla.; and Vacaville, Calif. Simonton is a founding sponsor of The Weather Museum and a corporate partner of Homes for Our Troops. For information, call (800) SIMONTON or visit www.simonton.com.

About Bravo Wellness

Bravo Wellness offers services to employers and business partners desiring results-based incentives for wellness. Customers experience immediate cost savings by linking employee incentives to participation and results. Bravo Wellness recognized the potential legal challenges of health insurance law, including HIPAA non-discrimination regulations, and has unique expertise in the practical application of wellness regulations for group health plans. Bravo Wellness is headquartered in North Olmsted, Ohio. For more information, call (440) 716-0709 or visit www.bravowell.com.