Description

• Wellness Wins Store
• Win Wellness Program

On-site fitness centres. This might be considered the granddaddy of all corporate wellness program. The question of whether a wellness program violates the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been unclear for some time. A Win for Wellness Programs: Federal Judge. Wellness rewards programs can use all sorts of incentive-based systems to encourage employees to make healthier choices in their daily lives. While we typically recommend giving employees rewards in dollars (or whatever currency is used in your country), many corporate wellness programs choose to employ a point system instead. The Win with Wellness Fit Club program is designed to: Increase knowledge and awareness of healthy lifestyle choices Create opportunities for physical fitness within our 100 Mile Challenge Foster.

Residents in northwest Illinois face increased risks of obesity and chronic disease due to unhealthy behaviors and limited access to physical activity opportunities and healthy foods.

In 2014, researchers at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford compared county data to overall state data from the Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and found that residents of Stephenson County and Carroll County showed higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and current smoking than the state average. The premature age-adjusted mortality rate was markedly higher in both counties, especially Carroll.

In addition, these researchers found that a significant proportion of the population in both counties was overweight or obese. In Stephenson County, 73.5% of adults were obese or overweight in 2014; in Carroll County, the percentage was 72.6%.

Through a 2015-2018 Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) Rural Health Care Services Outreach grant, the Win With Wellness (WWW) collaborative was initiated to reduce obesity and chronic disease risk for adults in Stephenson and Carroll counties using a multi-component, community-based approach to promote healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Interventions supported with initial funding included:

• Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), a weight-loss support group for adults
• Heart-to-Heart (HH) health promotion sessions for worksites and community groups
• Media campaign, including billboards, social media, and radio interviews

In 2018, WWW received a 2018-2021 FORHP Rural Health Outreach grant and enhanced programming focused on reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults in Stephenson and Carroll counties by addressing the modifiable risk factors on the CDC Heart Age calculator.

Interventions focus on improving health behaviors to reduce CVD risk and assessing and addressing environmental barriers to engaging in physical activity and healthy eating behaviors. During the three-year project, WWW is targeting a cohort of eligible adults age 30-74 to engage in community or worksite-based interventions to address their personal CVD risk factors identified during enrollment screenings. By leveraging additional funding, WWW has also been able to serve adults who do not meet eligibility criteria, including those over age 74. With the new funding and focus, the following interventions were added to the initial TOPS and HH groups:

Wellness Wins Store

• Text-4-Wellness, a texting program in which participants can receive information and motivational messages
• Step-4-Wellness, a physical activity monitor program in which participants can track their daily steps
• HH online sessions
• Referrals to primary care and the Illinois Tobacco Quitline

In addition, physical activity and nutrition environment assessments were conducted and information about existing resources were provided to residents, both in online format and through flyers posted in the community.

The 2018 WWW partnership includes county health departments, clinics and healthcare systems, colleges of medicine and nursing, a United Way branch, and a school district. Medical and nursing students gain experience in community-based research, and WWW benefits from their volunteer work. Since the start of this partnership, three medical students have helped with the WWW Facebook page and two nursing students have helped with the environmental assessments.

(state, higher education, local education and local government employees and retirees, with some programs limited to state and higher education health plan members)

ActiveHealth Management is our wellness vendor, and they can help you achieve your health goals.

In December, ActiveHealth Management will mail information about the 2021 wellness program and resources to enrolled members.

State and higher education employees enrolled in the health plan will receive information about the cash incentives available for completing certain activities. There are a few cash incentive changes in 2021. Find details below under Cash Incentives.

All members and all state employees can go to http://go.activehealth.com/wellnesstn for more information.

Wellness program -- State and Higher Education

Three easy steps to activate your wellness program and earn your cash incentives.

• First, activate your account – on the web or with the mobile app. Log on to www.myactivehealth.com/wellnesstn to get started or download the ActiveHealth app. Search for ActiveHealth in your app store

New users: go to the Create An Account link and follow the steps to register. You will need to have your 8-digit Edison ID handy. The ID can be found on your or your spouse’s CVS Caremark card.

• Second, complete the health assessment. You can do it in online or in the app and it only takes about five minutes.

IMPORTANT!

State and higher education members/spouses MUST complete the ActiveHealth online health assessment to be eligible for any cash incentives. Once an enrolled state or higher education employee and/or spouse (excludes retirees) completes ActiveHealth's online health assessment, they can each earn up to $250 a year by completing certain wellness activities (if eligible). Each participant will be able to earn the maximum $250 per person ($500 annual maximum).

• Third, complete your choice of activities to start earning your cash incentives.

Click here for a printable 2021 Incentive Table that shows all of the ways enrolled state and higher education members/spouses can earn cash incentives and how to get started. Note: if you complete some activities toward the end of 2021, they may not be paid until 2022.

• 2021 cash incentive changes:
  • New Healthy You group coaching sessions – earn $50 per session/maximum of three sessions for $150.
  • Weight Management program*: Members will only be eligible to complete the first class once and receive an incentive payment. See the Incentive Table for details.
• Enrolled state employees: You can also choose to put your wellness program cash incentives into your HSA.
  • State employees can make this choice during annual enrollment. Note: Any wellness incentives deposited into the HSA will count toward the overall HSA IRS annual maximum. This means that you need to take the 2021 IRS limit and subtract the $250 or $500 seed funds from the state, plus subtract how much you think you will earn in wellness program incentives in 2021 to determine how much money you want to contribute to your account pretax. If you complete activities at the end of 2021, the incentive payment could carry over into your 2022 HSA deposit and impact your annual maximum. We will notify you by email if that happens.

Your wellness program includes:

• a health assessment,
• coaching support (one on one personal coaching by phone, group coaching and online),
• a personalized weight management program*,
• support for chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, COPD and other conditions,
• help with quitting tobacco,
• biometric screenings* and
• a web portal and mobile app, allowing access to many other online resources.

*Some programs are limited to enrolled state and higher education members (excludes state plan retirees). State employees not enrolled in the health plan have access to the ActiveHealth web portal and mobile app.

Weight Management Program (active state and higher education members only)

In the weight management program, you will:

• Learn to take control of your fitness and nutrition for long term results
• Receive a wireless scale and fitness tracker to help you watch your progress
• Have a full year of support from your health coach and other participants
  
• Get access to online support and more
  

Are you ready?State and higher education employees can participate. If you have a body mass index of 30 or higher, you can do this program. That’s based on your height and weight. Call to see if you qualify or have any questions.

Call today: 888-741-3390 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT)

Don’t take our word for it, click the links below to see what your peers have to say about the program!

Biometric Screenings (enrolled state and higher education only)

Quest Diagnostics is our biometric screening vendor. To set up your online account with Quest, click here. When you set up your Quest account for the first time, you will need the registration key: SOT. Then follow the instructions. For 2021 incentives, Quest biometric screening forms will be accepted beginning December 1, 202. You can also earn a cash incentive for getting your annual physical or well woman visit.

Here's how to get a screening

When you log in to your Quest account, you will have the option to:

• Schedule an onsite screening if one is scheduled near you, or
• Download the physician screening form to take to your annual physical (well visit).
• You can earn the biometric screening cash incentive by completing either biometric screening option.

Win Wellness Program

Once you choose your screening option, that is the only option you will see in your Quest account. If you change your mind, just cancel the onsite appointment or cancel the physician screening form and select the other option. The cut off deadline for the biometric screening is November 30, 2021.

Your annual physical is covered by the health plan at no cost, if you use an in-network provider.

In 2021, if you want to earn the cash incentive for completing a biometric screening you can attend an onsite screening or download the physician screening form from the Quest website.

Wellness Program -- Local Education, Local Government and Retirees

Local education and local government members and spouses, all retirees and spouses, and COBRA participants all have access to a health assessment and coaching support (online personal or group coaching, or by phone) for disease management programs such as asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary artery disease (CAD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

• You will get emails about coaching support that’s available to you.
• It is completely voluntary and won’t cost you anything.
• In addition, you will have access to the web portal and mobile app where you can get access to your coaches, the health assessment and tips and trackers.

First, create your online account to see what programs are available.

• Log on to www.myactivehealth.com/wellnesstn to get started.
  • New users: go to the Create An Account link and follow the steps to register. You will need to have your 8-digit Edison ID handy. The ID can be found on your or your spouse’s CVS Caremark card.

You can also download the ActiveHealth app. Search for “ActiveHealth” in your app store.

All members: Click here for frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the wellness program.

Diabetes Prevention Program

All Members have access to the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) if you meet the eligibility criteria. For more information about the eligibility criteria and the DPP, go here.

Wellness resources for all members

• Fitness center discounts offer affordable ways for members to improve their health.

Cigna members have access to a Cigna nurse advice line by calling the phone number on their ID card and asking for the 24 Health Information Line. BlueCross BlueShield does not have a nurse advice line.

Preventive care

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a Prevention Checklist on its website. Click here to see what preventive care they recommend.

And don’t forget — preventive care is free with all plans, if you use an in-network provider. Members are encouraged to get age appropriate preventive services, which could include:

• annual preventive visit (i.e., physical exam)
• cholesterol test
• screening for colon cancer
  
• annual well-woman visit
• osteoporosis screening
• screenings for breast or cervical cancer
• flu vaccine
• pneumococcal vaccine

Talk to your doctor to find out what screenings and tests are right for you.

The ParTNers for Health Wellness Program is a voluntary wellness program available to all state and higher education employees and spouses enrolled in health coverage. Local education, local government and retirees enrolled in health coverage have access to certain programs like disease management and the web portal. The program is administered according to federal rules permitting employer-sponsored wellness programs that seek to improve employee health or prevent disease, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as applicable, among others. If you choose to participate in the wellness program, you will be asked to complete a voluntary health questionnaire (assessment) that asks a series of questions about your health-related activities and behaviors and whether you have or had certain medical conditions (e.g., cancer, diabetes or heart disease). You are not required to complete the assessment or other medical examinations.

Although you are not required to complete the health questionnaire, only active state and higher education employees and spouses who do so are eligible to receive cash incentives.

If you are unable to participate in any of the health-related activities required to earn an incentive, you may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation or an alternative standard. You may request a reasonable accommodation or an alternative standard by contacting the ParTNers for Health Wellness Program at 888.741.3390.

The information from your health questionnaire and the results from your biometric screening (active state and higher education employees and spouses only) will be used to provide you with information to help you understand your current health and potential risks. It may also be used to offer you services through the wellness program such as weight management, Diabetes Prevention Program and other programs. You also are encouraged to share your results or concerns with your own doctor.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your personally identifiable health information (PHI). Although the wellness program and the State of Tennessee may use aggregate information it collects to design a program based on identified health risks in the workplace, the ParTNers for Health Wellness Program will never disclose any of your personal information either publicly or to your employer, except as necessary to respond to a request from you for a reasonable accommodation needed for you to participate in the wellness program, or as expressly permitted by law. Medical information that personally identifies you that is provided in connection with the wellness program will not be provided to your supervisors or managers and will never be used to make decisions regarding your employment.

Your health information will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or otherwise disclosed except to the extent permitted by law to carry out specific activities related to the wellness program, and you will not be asked or required to waive the confidentiality of your health information as a condition of participating in the wellness program or receiving an incentive. Anyone who receives your information for purposes of providing you services as part of the wellness program will abide by the same confidentiality requirements. The only individual(s) who will receive your personally identifiable health information are the wellness vendor (nutritionists, nurses, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, health coaches and other healthcare professionals) and their vendor partners (case managers with the medical and behavioral health vendors, weight management vendor and the biometric screening vendor) in order to provide you with services under the wellness program.

In addition, all medical information obtained through the wellness program will be maintained separate from your personnel records, information stored electronically will be encrypted and no information you provide as part of the wellness program will be used in making any employment decisions. Appropriate precautions will be taken to avoid any data breach, and in the event a data breach occurs involving information you provide in connection with the wellness program, you will be notified promptly.

You may not be discriminated against in employment because of the medical information you provide as part of participating in the wellness program, nor may you be subjected to retaliation if you choose not to participate.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this notice, or about protections against discrimination and retaliation, please contact ParTNers for Health at partners.wellness@tn.gov.