Destiny Health Revamps Operations

By Staff Writer

September 07, 2006 at 09:32 PM

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A pioneer in the "consumer-driven" health plan movement is trying to strengthen its U.S. subsidiary.

Discovery Health (Pty.) Ltd., Sandton, South Africa, has named Arthur Carlos to be president of the U.S. unit, Destiny Health, Chicago, and has announced that Carlos has plans to expand Destiny's product line.

Destiny Health was one of the first companies to use personal health accounts to give U.S. employees a financial incentive to help hold down health care cost. Many competitors have copied elements of Destiny Health's Vitality wellness incentive program.

But sales have been slower than Discovery would have liked. Carlos, who succeeds Scott Spiker, has been working for the past 6 months to revamp Destiny Health's operations, Discovery says.

Carlos previously was chairman of the national retirement practice council at the consulting arm of Aon Corp., Chicago. He also was senior vice president in charge of Aon's U.S. central region retirement consulting practice.

Destiny Health already has a marketing relationship with Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, in several states, and it has started selling individual coverage to members of 4 Illinois Life Time Fitness centers.

The company now will be trying to expand its appeal to employers by introducing preferred provider organization plans that incorporate the Vitality wellness incentive program, Discovery says.

Destiny Health also will try to expand sales to individuals, and it will be looking to form marketing alliances with benefit plan administrators and conventional health insurers, Discovery says.

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