Health as a Strategic Advantage

The continued good health of our work force and their families remains a priority for the company. Our approach to employee health and, in particular, U.S. health care, is rooted in our core business and our Employment Value Proposition. We are committed to the ongoing evaluation and improvement of programs that promote the good health, well-being, longevity and productivity of our work force. Our vision is knowledgeable, motivated people who stay well and receive appropriate, efficient health care services. Since families tend to share health habits – good and bad – promoting health among our employees contributes to healthier communities.

In the U.S., health care availability and affordability continue to be of concern, as demonstrated by the national health care reform effort. To mitigate our health care-related costs, maximize worker productivity and improve the overall health of our communities, we are committed to health and wellness programs that maintain or increase the health status of our employees and their families. We provide resources and tools to educate employees to help them make sound choices about health care services and coverage. This will help them become better health care consumers.

Salaried workers in the U.S. who participate in a health risk appraisal and meet with their primary care physicians to better understand their health status are rewarded with lower insurance deductibles. In 2013, more than 80 percent of salaried employees and retirees met the objectives of this program and increased their awareness of personal health improvement opportunities.

For our hourly work force, we are partnering with the UAW¹ and Southeast Michigan health care providers to pilot a two-year program called the Enhanced Care Program. The goal of the program is to provide care that treats overall health and leads to a better quality of life. Through a personalized care approach, the program looks for ways to help with current chronic, manageable health care needs (including asthma, diabetes, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and to prevent future problems when possible. The pilot is expected to help us deliver better health care to our employees while helping to lower total health care costs.

Participating patients have access to a personal health care nurse who works closely with a patient and his or her doctor to coordinate care and achieve the patient’s personalized health goals. Patients can contact their personal care nurses by phone, email or in person – as frequently as needed and at no additional cost.

We expect 1,200 to 1,500 active UAW members and non-Medicare retired members to join the voluntary pilot.

We are also collaborating with other large payers, health plans and government agencies by:

• Participating in regional health care quality measurement and public reporting initiatives, with potential data sharing and funding assistance from the government; Promoting the development of health care initiatives that aim to improve or change the dynamic of the health care marketplace; and
• Developing new programs to improve the health of employees and family members who are affected by chronic diseases.

Globally, we remain committed to the One Ford health care strategy. Our goal is to build a culture of wellness that lets people perform at the top of their game at work, at home and into retirement. Our efforts are tailored to meet local health priorities and to ensure that our people receive quality health care when they need it. We focus on health screenings, educational programs and promotional campaigns. We use global health metrics (such as percentage of population at low, medium and high risk for disease) to assess the health of our work force and track the results of our programs. Through our U.S. and global health initiatives, we are confident we will be successful in improving the health of our work force and managing our health care cost obligations in an efficient manner.