Participate in wellness initiatives to improve health, qualify for financial incentives

health-checklistMembers of the Case Western Reserve community who participate in the Benelect medical plan can quality for significant savings by completing three free activities this fall.

The incentives are part of the university’s ongoing efforts to improve the health of the community and also reduce increases in medical expenditures. With the exception of benefits provided through Kaiser Permanente, the university is entirely self-insured. Under self-insurance models, the institution directly bears the cost of care. Companies like Medical Mutual and Anthem help design respective plans and process claims, but do not cover them. If Case Western Reserve’s health costs climb, those participating in self-insured plans bear the expense through larger premiums.

In 2012, the university launched a formal wellness program. This effort built upon earlier initiatives, including weight-loss support groups and healthy cooking classes. The university first offered health risk appraisals last year, and this year added in-person biometric screenings and a tobacco attestation form.

Faculty and staff members on the Case Western Reserve Benelect plan (and those adding medical coverage for 2014) who participate in all three elements qualify for a $25 per-month incentive on their 2014 health insurance premiums. Below is additional information about each option.

Health Risk Appraisals

Working in conjunction with the University of Michigan’s Health Management Research Center, Case Western Reserve has arranged for employees to complete free, confidential Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) online at case.edu/hra from Nov. 1-30. The appraisal asks about smoking, drinking, diet, exercise and other behaviors.

Those who complete the HRAs will receive confidential, individualized feedback. The university will not be able to access any individual responses; only de-identified, aggregate data will be provided to the institution.

The overall information will help guide what wellness programs the university will offer to enhance campus health and help prevent chronic disease and acute illness. The university will report publicly on the overall findings in early 2014.

Biometric Health Screenings

The university will offer free, confidential biometric screenings on campus to measure blood pressure, height, weight, cholesterol and glucose. Participants will be able to view their results online within three to five days; they also will receive printed copies of the results within two to three weeks. As with the health risk appraisals, the university only will see aggregate data from the screenings and will not have access to any individual responses.

Fourteen different on-campus screening sessions will be offered from Nov. 6-22. View a schedule of available screenings.

Scheduling for the on-campus screenings opens Oct. 7 and ends Nov. 8. Registration closes two weeks before each screening date. To register, visit my.blueprintforwellness.com and use the code “CWRU.” (Quest Diagnostics provides a brief, online-scheduling demo that describes the scheduling process.)

Those who participate in the screenings before completing the HRA can enter the information collected from the screenings on their HRAs.

Employees unable to attend one of the on-campus screenings can visit a Quest Patient Service Center to schedule screenings at their convenience.

To schedule a service center appointment, visit my.blueprintforwellness.com and use the code “CWRU.” Questions? Email wellness@case.edu or call Benefits Administration at 368.6781.

Tobacco Attestation Form

Those who wish to qualify for the incentives also must complete the online tobacco attestation form between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. The form requires them to state whether they use tobacco. The form can be found in HCM Self-Service—Benefits—Wellness Program.

Contact wellness@case.edu with questions.

Wellness Premium Incentives

Benelect participants (and those adding coverage for 2014) who complete the HRA, biometric screening and indicate their non-tobacco user status on the tobacco attestation form qualify for the $25 per-month-savings on their health insurance premiums in 2014.

The university also will offer additional wellness programs in 2014, including classes focused on tobacco cessation, stress management, weight management and nutrition and physical activity. Benelect medical plan participants who have met the 2014 Wellness Program participation criteria will receive $100 cash for each program they complete, up to $200.

For more information about the 2014 Wellness Program, attend one of the upcoming sessions this month:

  • Oct. 8, noon-1 p.m., Allen Memorial Library, Ford Auditorium
  • Oct. 21, noon-1 p.m., Allen Memorial Library, Ford Auditorium
  • Oct. 23, noon-1 p.m., Wolstein Research Building auditorium
  • Oct. 29, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Nord Hall 310
  • Oct. 31, noon-1 p.m., Allen Memorial Library, Ford Auditorium

Visit the benefits webpage, email wellness@case.edu or call Benefits Administration at 368.6781 with questions.