What we do at Highmark is provide the environment of support and respect to help these patients learn this lifestyle, no matter where they go. We also screen for motivation for people to be eligible. A person has to be very motivated to modify their lifestyle in this way. But what we've learned is that it can be easier to make big changes than to make small changes. Small changes bring small results.
Big changes bring big results, which are very motivating to the people in the program.
People with chest pain, for example, have relief often times within days, and this helps them continue their course of success. The Ornish program is not a diet, but truly a lifestyle change. It's less invasive than the traditional medical model, and the participant needs to make a commitment and a choice to use this particular option. As a matter of fact. Given the success of Highmark's program, we see it as our goal and our responsibility to provide this option in other regions.