Alberta Blue Cross has launched a program that promotes wellness by rewarding its customers for living healthy lives.

The company introduced its Balance web site on Feb. 1. It allows Alberta Blue Cross plan members to complete health risk assessments and learning modules that deal with health issues such as high blood pressure, alcohol consumption, diet, and mental health. As they participate in the Balance program and commit to making healthy lifestyle choices, members are rewarded with points that they can use to enter draws for prizes. The program also includes wearable fitness tracking technology to provide ongoing incentives.

The insurer says that Balance contains elements that will also help group health plan sponsors. "The resource contains a plan administrator dashboard to provide aggregated statistics to employers on employee health to help them identify opportunities for programs and interventions to better support their employee populations," reads the statement.

Alberta Blue Cross is currently making the Balance program available to plan members who have coverage through medically underwritten individual health plans and insured employer group benefit plans. The insurer plans to expand access to other plan members in the future.