Kaiser to buy fruit for state worker health

LOUISVILLE – State employees can have a sweet fruity treat in July and August as part of a new worker wellness program.

Kaiser Permanente is paying $22,000 for the 528 fruit boxes it ordered from Louisville-based Door to Door Organics. According to a Door to Door press statement, the boxes are to be delivered to more than 100 state offices.

Door to Door takes customer orders online for organic produce and delivers it to homes and offices. The company has operations in nine states, including Colorado.

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Kaiser Permanente insurance company is paying for the fruit boxes as part of the Cafewell employee wellness program, www.colorado.gov/wellness, said Michaela Turner, a state of Colorado spokeswoman. Employees who participate in the wellness program can receive a credit of up to $20 per month toward their health-insurance premiums, according to a press release. United Healthcare Services Inc., a division of the Minnesota-based insurance company, is the state’s other insurance provider, Turner said.

No state taxpayer dollars were used to pay for either the fruit boxes or the potential health insurance credits, which will be paid through employee contributions to an employee benefits pool, Turner said.

The Cafewell program also encourages employees to find alternative transportation to work and find times to exercise during the day, Turner said. National industry research shows a $2.50 return on employee wellness programs for every $1 invested in them, she said.

Privately held Door to Door does not release revenue figures. However, the company has grown steadily in recent years, fueled by investments such as $2 million in venture capital in August from Greenmont Capital Partners LLC in Boulder.