CSI: Des Moines Wellness Program - Frequently Asked Questions

Q

1. 1. What is Whole Health DimensionsSM?
2. 2. What is a Personal Health Assessment (PHA)?
3. 3. Will my results/personal health information from the Personal Health Assessment (PHA) or other wellness activities be shared with my employer? Will these results affect my health care coverage?
4. 4. Will I be responsible for any of the costs associated with my doctor’s visit?
5. 5. What are the benefits of taking a Personal Health Assessment (PHA)?
6. 6. What do I do if I need assistance to read or complete the PHA?
7. 7. Will I be able to see a sample of the personalized, individual report and the employer summary report before I participate?
8. 8. Why should I participate in this wellness program? What are the benefits of wellness for participants?
9. 9. Who do I contact if I have questions about this program?

A

1.  

   1. Whole Health Dimensions is a health management solution being provided by City of Des Moines and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa to help you lead a healthier life. We are choosing to call our customized program for the City of Des Moines employees “Continuous Self Improvement” or “CSI: Des Moines.”

2.  

   2. Personal Health Assessment, or PHA, is a confidential questionnaire that participants can complete through the Internet. You can complete the PHA during work time. The PHA takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and asks participants a series of questions about their current health, medical history, beliefs and attitudes, and personal habits with regard to things like exercise, diet, automobile safety, and tobacco or alcohol use.

   In order to complete your PHA, call your designated primary care provider (PCP) and make an appointment for an annual/routine physical, including blood work and blood pressure. Take the Biometric Screening Patient Result Sheet with you. If you’ve had an annual/routine physical in the past 12 months and you have all the lab values listed on the Patient Result Sheet, you may be able to use your lab results from that visit for the online Personal Health Assessment.

   If you have not seen your primary care provider (PCP), you will find his/her name on your Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield ID card. Remember that your health plan covers one routine physical per calendar year. So if you’ve already had an annual/routine physical during this calendar year, you will be responsible for the cost of this second annual physical.

3.  

   3. No. The City of Des Moines and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa take your confidentiality seriously. Individual Personal Health Assessment (PHA) reports and Wellness Clinic data are not shared with anyone, but the individual, and will not affect the individual’s health insurance premiums in any way. In addition, your confidentiality is also protected by the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

   This law forbids anyone from giving your personal health information, such as your Personal Health Assessment (PHA) report, to any third parties without your consent. Also, your PHA results and other personal health information gathered during wellness programs are not linked with your insurance premiums in any way.

4.  

   4. Yes. As always, you are responsible for your office visit copay. As a member of the City of Des Moines health plan, you are entitled to one annual/routine physical per calendar year. If you’ve already had an annual/routine physical during this calendar year, you will be responsible for the cost of this second annual physical.

5.  

   5. Each participant completing a Personal Health Assessment (PHA), after going to his or her physician for a physical, receives a personalized PHA report. Based upon his or her responses and Wellness Clinic biometric values, the personalized PHA report provides an in-depth look at the participant’s current wellness and outlines potential areas of health risk and suggestions to help the individual lead a healthier life. That includes outlining online education programs for nutrition, physical activity, and stress management, for example.

   A summary report of overall results (all employee information is de-identified and treated as one group of information) is provided to your employer, City of Des Moines, to help them select employee wellness programs and services.

   Also, if the PHA is completed by November 30, 2008, you can receive a $60 gift card and your spouse can receive a $30.00 gift card. Gift cards will be disbursed after November 30.

6.  

   6. Please contact your department’s wellness committee member or Human Resources for assistance. As a reminder, there are two computer monitors just inside the Human Resources Department that can be used to complete the PHA.

   Another option is the Wellness Assistant that is part of the new wellness programs provided to you by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Call toll-free (877) 252-8412 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (CST), and from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (CST) on Saturday.

7.  

   7. Yes. A sample of each report will be available at the employee education meetings that will soon be announced for each department.

8.  

   8. Being well and fit can improve your performance and your outlook on life – at home, at work, and at play.

   Leading a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating right and exercising, can help you:

   • Sleep more soundly
   • Think more clearly
   • Cope with problems
   • Avoid certain illnesses
   • Give you more energy

   Studies show that employees who participate in wellness programs enjoy short-term and long-term benefits. Healthier employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, and are generally happier in their jobs. These are just some of the reasons why your employer is offering this benefit to you.

9.  

   9. Attend the employee meetings that will be available for all employees and spouses to attend. In addition, you may contact James Wells at (515) 237-1380 or jrwells@dmgov.org.