Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Encourages Well-Being with Accelerated Vacation Savings Plan

 EAGAN, Minn. (May 8, 2014) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) announced today it will partner with Adestinn to offer an innovative new vacation savings program in coordination with its select health insurance offerings.

Adestinn is an employer-enabled vacation savings plan for hotel and resort accommodations. It gives employees a 50-percent matching credit on their financial contributions to a planned vacation savings account.

"At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, we believe in helping our members to live healthier lives," said Matt Marek, vice president of product and marketing. "Current health research shows that all work and no play can be detrimental to a person’s health. Fortunately, the remedy is really quite simple— plan a vacation. And, Adestinn is a unique way to accelerate your vacation plans."

Research has shown that vacations can offer several tangible health benefits, including:

  • Lowering the risk of a heart attack by 50 percent
  • Lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of epinephrine
  • Helping prevent long-term chronic conditions
  • Raising levels of relaxation, health and happiness

Employee participation in an Adestinn vacations savings plan is simple, risk-free and, in Minnesota, exclusive to Blue Cross members. Employee contributions are held in an FDIC-insured account, are fully refundable and have a 100 percent annual carryover.

Savings placed in an Adestinn account can be applied toward hundreds of top-name hotels and resorts, including well-known chains like Hilton and Hyatt, in more than 100 desirable destinations around the world. Just like other hotel reservation websites employees may be used to using, best price guarantees and no blackout dates apply.

Companies can add Adestinn to their existing insurance plans throughout the summer and fall for health plans that begin January 1, 2015.

"Blue Cross has a tremendous heritage of driving innovation throughout the health care industry," said David-Elias Rachie, CEO of Adestinn. "We are delighted to partner with them to help Blue Cross members benefit from a well-deserved vacation."

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

For more than 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. We are on a mission to inspire change, transform care and improve health for the people and communities we serve by reinventing both ourselves and the broader system. Our more than 2.5 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. As a proud nonprofit organization, we believe working to advance wellness for all Minnesotans is the greatest investment we can make. Our goal is nothing less than for everyone to be able to achieve their full health potential, regardless of race or other socially defined circumstances. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, which serves more than 107 million members across the U.S.

About Adestinn
Adestinn is the inventor of an innovative employee benefit—a vacation savings account that earns a 50% matching credit. Vacations reduce stress and increase wellness and more than 9 out of every 10 members in Adestinn’s program go on vacation. This benefit helps employers attract and retain employees, while motivating them to use allocated PTO benefits. Adestinn, www.Adestinn.com, is a privately held company headquartered in Minneapolis/St. Paul.