Humana to Americans: Get outdoors more

In a push to make its members more active--and ultimately, more healthy--Humana has joined forces with the National Park Service to encourage Americans to visit national parks and spend more time outside.

In an announcement of its new initiative, Humana cites an Environmental Protection Agency statistic that says 93 percent of an American life is spent indoors. To curb this trend, the company wants people to gauge how much time they spend outdoors, and then take a National Geographic Quiz to determine which kinds of activities are best suited for them.

The payer is also using 360-degree videos on national parks, virtual reality and simulated log cabins to garner interest in outdoor activity. All summer, Humana is promoting a program called “Bring the Parks to You,” in which the company is traveling the country with these products, says the announcement. Its first stop is in Chicago.

“Finding as little as 30 minutes each day to get outdoors in a natural setting can do so much for your overall health,” says Humana Medical Director Mark Steffen, M.D.

Humana has put an increased emphasis on wellness initiatives in recent years, recently going so far as to tie its executive pay to member health outcomes. Last year, the company launched an initiative to improve the health of the communities Humana serves by 20 percent, which CEO Bruce Broussard has said will gradually align a health system "that's vastly out of balance."

To learn more:

- here's the announcement