Changes in the Annual Wellness Pledge Program

Each year the Wellness Pledge Program becomes a bit more robust, offering new options and resources to get you well, and keep you well. 

• The Health Assessment Pledge for You and Your Covered Spouse: As the gateway pledge, this pledge is the most important pledge of all. The health assessment (which is now called the Rally Health Survey on the United Healthcare portal) is a fun and easy way to get information about your health.
  Value and Buy-Up Plan members login to myuhc.com and click on the Rally Health Survey.
  CareConnect Employee Plan members login to access the Rally Health Survey here.
• The Financial Wellness Video Pledge: Designed to keep you in tune with your financial security in the future, this video pledge is currently in redesign and will be available to you mid-May. 
• New Pledge with the Feinstein Institute for Research: Employees now have a new option to gain credit towards the cost of their benefits by participating in clinical research. Pledge here.

Here's What You Can Do Now to Comply:

Schedule one or more preventive care appointments in 2016 prior to October 31, 2016, and you will be rewarded paycheck credits beginning with your first pay cycle in 2017:

1. Complete the Health Survey (this is re
2. Visit with your primary care physician and get a full physical 
3. Visit with your dentist and get an exam and cleaning 
4. Visit with your ophthalmologist for an eye exam 
5. Get screened for breast cancer with a mammography by Imaging
6. Get screened for skin cancer with a full body check by your dermatologist 
7. Get screened for cervical cancer with PAP Smear by your obstetrician/gynecologist
8. Get screened for colorectal cancer with a colonoscopy by Imaging
9. Have your covered spouse (if applicable) complete the Health Survey
10. Participate in the Feinstein GAP Registry

2017 Paycheck Credits for 2016 Pledge Actions
Complete all four pledges by October 31 and you will earn the maximum amount of paycheck credits in 2017 ($1,040). If you complete your pledge in November/December you will still receive the credits they will just be delayed by six to eight weeks, and you will not receive the maximum amount of credits.

If you have completed the pledges you will see the credit in each of your pay statements as follows:

• Semimonthly (paid on the 7th and 22nd of each month - 24 paychecks a year)- $10.83 for each pledge each pay cycle
• Biweekly (paid every other Thursday - 26 paychecks a year) - $10 for each pledge each pay cycle

We are happy to see that you are actively interested in this important program, keeping you in tune with your preventive care routine each year. 

Note: Newly hired employees will receive automatic credit for four Wellness Pledges. They will have six months to comply or their credits will cease.

Final Deadline for 2015 Wellness Pledges: Dec 31

Northwell Health believes in taking care of you, so you can better care of our patients!

North Shore-LIJ (soon to be Northwell Health) wants you to be aware of your preventive care routine all year long. By providing you with an excellent package of benefits, the Wellness Pledge Program was designed to keep you on track with a regular, annual, preventive care routine.

What You Need to Know 
If you were enrolled in the Value or Buy-Up medical plan in 2015 you still have the opportunity to earn paycheck credits in 2016, by participating in the Annual Wellness Pledge Program. The program is open on a annual calendar basis, giving you 12 months (January through December) to take action on four health-related events. In addition to completing a necessary online Health Assessment* you have the ability to act on three of the following pledges or healthy actions:

1. Annual exam with your primary care physician
2. Dental exam and cleaning
3. Vision exam
4. Breast cancer screening (mammography)
5. Skin cancer check
6. Colorectal cancer screening (colonscopy)
7. Cervical cancer screening (Pap Smear)
8. Health Assessment by your covered spouse (can be found when logged into myuhc.com)
9. Financial wellness video (can be found when logged into nslij.trsretire.com)

Once actions have been completed your date-of-service/completion is transferred from our carriers,United Healthcare, Cigna Dental, Davis Vision and Transamerica Retirement Solutions to your Wellness Summary when logged into Employee Self Service. It takes approximately six to eight weeks for this transfer to be complete.

Deadline

You have through December 31 to comply with the program, but your 2016 paycheck credits (worth $10 per pledge per biweekly paycheck, and $10.83 per semi-monthly) will be delayed by about two to three pay cycles and will not be retroactive. 

Note: throughout 2015, participants were communicated a soft deadline of October 31 to earn maximum amount of 2016 credits. 

*The online Health Assessment is 100% confidential and necessary to earn any paycheck credits in 2016. Login to myuhc.com, click on the blue bar on the right side of the page, answer the questions to the best of your ability and hit submit. 

Compliance Facts: Wellness Pledge Program

If you are currently enrolled in the Value or Buy-Up medical plan you have still have the opportunity to earn $1,040 in 2016 paycheck credits. Complete four healthy actions prior to the soft deadline of October 31, 2015 and your paycheck credits will begin with the first pay cycle in 2016.
Those who completed their pledges in November/December will still receive credits, they will just be delayed by about 6 to 8 weeks in 2016, and will not be retroactive.

Wellness Summary
Our carriers: United Healthcare, Cigna Dental, Davis Vision, and Transamerica transmit your date-of-service (not your health information) into your Wellness Summary, which can be found under the "Personal Information-SelfService-Benefits" tab when you login to Employee Self Service.

Note:
Your Wellness Summary will not be updated for viewing for approximately 6 to 8 weeks post your action.

If you have completed your pledges by the final deadline of Dec 31, 2015: 
There is no need to call-in, fax or file claims, office visits or other documents to the HR Service Center, you have complied!
Rest assured: 
If you completed your actions before Oct 31, 2015 your paycheck credits will begin with the first pay cycle of 2016.  

If you completed pledges in November/December timeframe you will still receive credits. They will just be delayed in 2016 by 6 to 8 weeks, and will not be retroactive. 


STILL HAVEN'T STARTED?
Here's What You Need to Do to Receive Credit
Complete an online health assessment - this pledge is required in order to receive any paycheck credits offered through the program

• Login to myuhc.com
• Click on the "Health Assessment" on the far right side of screen
• Click on "Take the Health Assessment"
• Complete security questions and health information
• Hit "Submit"
• If you are having technical issues, call 877-818-5826
• You just earned yourself $260!

Choose to act on three additional healthy actions before Oct 31 and you will receive maximum credits in 2016. If you are delayed and do not complete until November/December you will still receive credits, they will just be delayed. These are your pledge choices:

1. Annual Wellness Exam
2. Dental Exam and Cleaning
3. Vision Exam
4. Breast Cancer Screening
5. Skin Cancer Screening
6. Colorectal Cancer Screening
7. Cervical Cancer Screening
8. Health Assessment for a Covered Spouse
   Your covered spouse has the option to complete the HA on myuhc.com as directed above
9. Financial Wellness Video
   Login to nslij.trsretire.com - once you hit the blue tab "view" a communications box will appear underneath "Your Retirement Outlook"
   Select the "Financial Wellness Presentation" and watch in its entirety to receive the credit

The health system cares about you, and strives to find helpful and engaging ways to keep you healthy, happy and financially secure! More to come in 2016...

Wellness Pledge Program Requires a Health Assessment

As the we approach the halfway mark in the calendar year, now might be a good time to complete your online health assessment (HA) on myuhc.com. As the gateway pledge to the Annual Wellness Pledge Program, the health assessment will help to summarize your overall health and wellness in about 15 minutes. Although the assessment should not be a replacement for your visit to doctor, it will assist in improving your next visit.

Health Assessment - Return User
Many of you may be return users. Since you already have an account - your login will take you directly to last year's HA. A portion of your information will be entered - such as your gender, height, weight, and biometrics. At this point you can update this information or leave as is. There are a total of 59 questions, which will cover your lifestyle habits. You are encouraged to answer all of these as honestly as possible. Once you have completed the 59 questions, hit continue. You will have 92 days to go back into your health assessment and change/update any of your responses. At the end of your assessment you will receive notification of your health results, which will also bring you to a printable page. This indicates your pledge as complete.

New User
If you have never registered on the myuhc portal, hit register now and follow the prompts to create your username and password. Once you have logged in to the health assessment you will be required to fill  in all fields to complete the pledge and receive your certificate of completion.

Kindness Comes on myuhc.com
Do you know someone special in your life that is due for a kind word or pat on the back?  Send an eCard, specially designed by our friends at United Healthcare, to show someone you are thinking of them. Login to myuhc.com, click on the link "Mental Health & Substance Abuse" and find eCards on the Quick Links. It's one of the many services United Healthcare shares with its members. Login and take a look around: myuhc.com.

Wellness Pledge Program - All Year Long

It's back! Well it never really left ...
The Annual Wellness Pledge Program, designed to heighten the level of awareness of your preventive care health routine, now enters its second year. The program offers eligible* employees the opportunity to act on four wellness pledges in 2015 in exchange for four paycheck credits in 2016. The pledges in 2015 are the same as in 2014 with one exception: the Wellness Video Pledge has been eliminated and will be replaced by a brand new pledge in March. More on the new pledge in just a few weeks.

Pledges Available for Action Now
As in 2014, you will once again have to complete an online Health Assessment (HA) on myuhc.com to collect any paycheck credits in 2016. Keep in mind that six months must pass before you are able to submit the HA. This passage of time between your HAs is put in place to accurately gauge your health routine and patterns.

Choose Three More
What better time than now to schedule your annual health appointments. Those appointments may, or may not, lead to additional screenings. Act on three of the below (+ the HA) before October 31 and you will receive the maximum amount of paycheck credits ($1,040) in 2016. If you complete one or two in November or December, those one or two credits will be delayed in 2016.

1. Physician Wellness Pledge: Your annual physical
2. Dental Exam Pledge: Exam and/or cleaning
3. Vision Exam Pledge: Eye exam by a licensed provider
4. Breast Cancer Screening Pledge: Mammogram
5. Skin Cancer Screening Pledge: Full body skin check
6. Colorectal Cancer Screening Pledge: Colonoscopy
7. Cervical Cancer Screening Pledge: Pap Smear
8. Health Assessment for a Covered Spouse Pledge: A covered spouse has the option to submit
9. Financial Wellness Video Pledge: This pledge will be introduced in March

How'd We Do?

Not all the numbers are in yet, but here's some great stats on the pledges in 2014:

• 15,403 completed the HA
• 14,447 visited with their primary care physician in 2014
• 11,922 had a dental exam
• 9,406 completed a vision exam
• 5,056 had a mammogram
• 4,287 visited with a dermatologist
• 1,921 opted to have a colonoscopy under the advice of their doctor
• 8,433 visited with their OB/GYN and had a Pap test for cervical cancer
• 2,115 had a covered spouse fill out the HA
• 18, 851 viewed the Wellness Video

• That's 91,841 preventive care actions in 2014 - Bravo!!!

*You are eligible to participate in this voluntary program if you enrolled in the 2015 benefit plans administered through North Shore-LIJ. Union nurses from Lenox Hill Hospital and MEETH also had the option to choose the North Shore-LIJ plans. To receive paycheck credits in 2016 you must also enroll in the benefit plans in 2016.

Wellness Pledge Program: Final Deadline Approaches

If you have not completed any of the Wellness Pledges in exchange for your 2015 paycheck credits - you still have time. The final deadline for the 2015 Pledge Program is December 31, 2014. Although it may be too late to schedule and complete a clinical appointment but you can still submit the most important pledge of all - your online Health Assessment (HA).
Note: This program is for employees who enrolled in the 2014 Value or Buy-Up medical plan.

Health Assessment is 100% Confidential
The online assessment is administered by United Healthcare and 100% confidential. Your proof of compliance is the date you completed and submitted the health assessment through myuhc.com. The HA takes about 15 minutes to complete, and can be completed from any computer, at any time. If you do not have your biometric numbers handy, such as your cholesterol or body mass index, you can always give your doctor a call and use the numbers from your last visit.

Here's What You Do

• Visit myuhc.com
• Login with your username and password (or register and create an account)
• Hit the blue button on the far right side "Health Assessment"
• Complete the security questions
• Complete your HA to best of your ability
• Hit submit

Paycheck Credits

Your Health Assessment is the gateway to all your other wellness pledges. By completing your HA before December 31, 2014 you will be eligible to collect partial 2015 paycheck credits of $10 per bi-weekly paycheck and  $10.83 for semi-monthly. Because you missed the first two deadline dates of September 30 and October 31, your credits will be delayed by 4-8 weeks. This credit will not be retroactive. 

Next Year's Pledge Program

We hope this newly designed program helped to give you a reality check on your preventive care routine this year. Moving into 2015 the health system will continue to offer financial incentives in exchange for your healthy actions. There will be very little change to the program in 2015. Let's review:

• The Wellness Video Pledge will no longer be offered in 2015
• A new pledge (currently in design) will the added to replace the Video
• The Pledge Program will be referred to as the Annual Pledge Program to encourage your preventive care routine - all year long!

The Gateway to Your Wellness Pledge Credits

If you are planning to enroll or re-enroll in the North Shore-LIJ Value or Buy-Up medical plan you are eligible to receive 2015 paycheck credits in exchange for completing an online Health Assessment and 3 additional health-related actions.

Health Assessment is the Gateway Pledge
It's not too late to complete the Health Assessment Pledge, which is the most important pledge. Without this pledge you are not eligible to receive paycheck credits for the others.
Example: Susan had a dental cleaning in March, an annual physical in June and a mammogram in August - if Susan completes the Gateway Pledge by October 31 she will receive the maximum amount of paycheck credits ($1,040) beginning with her first pay cycle in 2015. If Susan waits and does not complete her final Pledge until November or December - her paycheck credits will be delayed 4-8 weeks. If Susan ignores the Health Assessment altogether she will not receive paycheck credits for any pledges in 2015.

What are you waiting for? Complete your online HA now:

1. Visit myuhc.com
2. Register and log in with a username and password
3. Click on the Health Assessment tab on the right side of page
4. Register and login using the same username and password you used for myuhc.com
5. Answer security questions
6. Fill in the health information
7. Hit submit

The Health Assessment is 100% confidential. Your health information is housed by a third party provider, Optum Health and not shared with North Shore-LIJ Health System. The only information the health system receives is the date you submitted it.

Wellness Summary
The Health Assessment will appear on your Wellness Summary, the third Monday of the following month in which the HA was completed and submitted.

The Program's Goal
The Wellness Pledge Program's goal is to educate and engage participating employees about the importance of their preventive healthcare routine. The Program runs on an annual basis and requires health-related actions the year prior to the receipt of paycheck credits. New Hires and those new to the medical plan have six months to comply. Scroll down and read more about the Wellness Pledge Program, or visit HealthPort-HR-Benefits-2015 Wellness Pledge Program.

Now you are on your way to a healthier and wealthier new year!

October is Here!

Since the deadline for the Wellness Pledges have been extended that mammogram you scheduled for during Breast Cancer Awareness Month will be in accordance with the 2015 Wellness Pledge Program.
Let's review the Pledge deadlines:

• Complete the online Health Assessment on myuhc.com and 3 additional pledges by October 31 and you will receive your maximum paycheck credits beginning with the first pay cycle in 2015
• Complete the online Health Assessment on myuhc.com and 3 additional pledges after October 31 (in November/December) and your paycheck credits will still appear in 2015 but they will be delayed 4-8 weeks - keep in mind, they will not be retroactive!

What you can do NOW - if eligible for the Pledge Program*
Step One: 
Complete your online Health Assessment on myuhc.com - it's the gateway pledge and is required in order to receive any paycheck credits in 2015
Step Two: 
Watch the Wellness Video - it was posted on your iLearn Module for viewing and submission
Step Three: 
Schedule 2 appointments (pledges) before Oct 31 and you will receive full credits:
--Annual Exam or Physical
--Dental Exam and/or Cleaning
--Vision Exam
--Breast Cancer Screening/Mammography
--Skin Cancer Screening/Check with a Dermatologist
--Colorectal Cancer Screening

In Addition: 

If you currently have your spouse covered under our medical plan you are also eligible to receive credit if he/she completes the online Health Assessment on myuhc.com.

Read more by searching 2015 Wellness Pledge Program in the search box (upper right corner of this Blog) or click here.

*You must be a non-union benefits-eligible employee or a Lenox Hill Hospital RN who is planning to enroll of re-enroll in North Shore-LIJ's Value or Buy-Up medical plan with United Healthcare to be eligible for the paycheck credits. New hires and those new to the medical plan in 2015 will have 6 months from their benefit's eligibility date to comply with the Program. 

Wellness Pledge Program Extended

If you still have not completed your pledges and are having difficulty scheduling appointments or screenings in September, now you have a bit more time!

• Complete the four wellness pledges/actions by October 31 and your paycheck credits will begin with the first pay cycle in 2015. 
• Complete the pledges in November/December and you will receive your 2015 paycheck credits, but they will be delayed 4-8 weeks (or the first few pay cycles in January). These credits will not be retroactive, so do your best to complete all four pledges by 10/31!

Wellness All Year Long
The pledge extension has been opened up through December because the health system wants you to consider your preventive care routine all year long.

Give it Time!
If you are constantly checking your Wellness Summary to review the status of your pledges, remember it takes time for the providers to send in the claims, and it takes time for the claims to feed into the Wellness Summaries.

United Healthcare sends the claims to us the third Monday of every month so if you choose to do the Physician Wellness Visit in early August your date of service should be marked on your Summary after September 22 (remember September 1 was  legal holiday and did not count as the first Monday of the month).

If you took the time to take care of yourself, we'll take the time to take care of you!

Wellness Pledges for 2014 New Hires and Those New to the Plan in 2015

Are you considering enrolling (for the first time) in North Shore-LIJ's 2015 Value or Buy-Up medical plan through United Healthcare during Open Enrollment? Or perhaps you were recently hired and are looking at your benefit options in 2015. Either way, note that you have six months to complete these pledges. 

Wellness Pledge deadline for employees hired in 2014:

If you were hired in 2014 and currently enrolled in the 2014 Value or Buy-Up medical plan through United Healthcare you may have noticed four paycheck credits in your pay statement. That's because you we want your health experience at North Shore-LIJ to be a positive one. Now it's time for you to prepare for your health in 2015 by complying with the rest of the North Shore-LIJ family and complete your 2015 Wellness Pledges on time. Here's what you need to know:

• You have six months to comply with the 2015 Wellness Pledge Program starting from your benefits eligibility date
• Your benefits eligibility date is the first day of the month 32 days after your date of hire
• Example:-Your first day at North Shore-LI was June 16
  -You are eligible for benefits enrollment on August 1
  -Your 2015 Wellness Pledges are due in six months from August 1 - that would be January 31, 2015
• Up until that date of January 31 you will have received those first few paycheck credits in 2015
• If you do not complete your pledge actions by January 2015 - your credits will cease with the February pay cycle
• You are not expected to pay the health system back for those credits

Wellness Pledge deadline for employees who plan to enroll for the first time in the North Shore-LIJ Value or Buy-Up medical plan

Attention Lenox Hill Hospital Nurses:

• You have six months from the day your benefits become effective with North Shore-LIJ's medical plan to complete the four pledges - that would be June 30, 2015
• Up until that date of June 30 you will be receiving the paycheck credits each pay cycle
• If you do not complete your pledge actions by June 30 - your credits will cease with July's pay cycle
• You are not expected to pay the health system back for those credits

The health system hopes this newly designed Wellness Pledge Program will help to keep your preventive care at top of mind - not just when selecting your benefits - but all year long!

For more information about the Wellness Pledge Program, stay logged in and search "2015 Wellness Pledge Program" in the SEARCH THIS BLOG box in the upper right corner
or
visit HealthPort>Human Resources>Benefits>2015 Wellness Pledge Program>Wellness Pledge Toolkit for New Hires.

Wellness Summary on Employee Self Service

You are now able to view your Pledge compliance on ESS. Notice that the online Health Assessment is listed first and in bold due to the mandatory completion requirements. If you do not complete and submit the online Health Assessment Pledge prior to December 31, you will not receive any paycheck credits for you other pledges.

The summary shows the pledge action choice on the left and the date of service you complied on the right.

As you can see none of the employee's pledges have been loaded into the Wellness Summary yet.

Please note: When you take action on one of your Wellness Pledges it takes at least one month for that information to load into your summary.

Below is the schedule of file uploading into the North Shore-LIJ platform from our carriers:
Health Assessment: 3rd Monday of month
United Healthcare claims: 3rd Monday of month
Cigna Dental claims: 1st Monday of month
Davis Vision claims: 1st day of month

How Your Information Loads
Let's give some examples:
Your annual exam was on February 4, 2015. You should see your visit as complied the following month on the third Monday, March 16. United feeds their files on the 3rd Monday of the month.
Your dental cleaning was sometime in January and again in July. You should see your dental visit as complied on the January date of service. Your second visit will not override your first.
Your eyes were examined on January 26. To view your date of service on our Wellness Summary you will have to check back March 1, first day of the following month.

Still Don't See Date of Service?
Please keep in mind your physician's office may delay filing the claim with the carrier, which will further delay the capturing of your visit. Not to worry - as long as you complete your four wellness pledges/actions before December 31* you will receive the paycheck credits in 2016.

Check on the Status of Your Pledges
If you want to check up on the status of your pledges visit Employee Self Service - Personal Information - Self Service - Benefits - Wellness Summary.

*To receive your credits beginning with the first pay cycle of 2016, finish all pledges before October 31!

What to Expect from the Clinical-Based Pledges

If you are a non-union, benefits-eligible employee, who just happens to be reading your emails from the Department of Total Rewards, you know by now there is a new design to the 2015 Wellness Pledge Program. In close collaboration with the Wellness Team, the Program was rethought to encourage employees to better engage in their health care routine, by proactively scheduling exams and screenings that are tracked through North Shore-LIJ's carriers, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna Dental and Davis Vision. You are recognized for your preventive care pledge compliance with $260 for each pledge, credited to your paycheck beginning January, 2015.

Choices
As mentioned in the previous post - you now have choices - in fact you have nine of them! Out of those nine pledges, seven need scheduling on your part. Take the time to review your options carefully, as they were designed to give you the opportunity to act proactively on your health and preventive care - long before enrolling in your 2015 benefit plans.

What to Expect at Your Visit or Screening
Some of you may have never scheduled a physician wellness visit before, or perhaps it's your first time to the dermatologist. Whatever your level of knowledge is - it's always good to know more. For more information about the seven clinically-based wellness pledges read more on HealthPort - HR - Benefits. 

2015 Wellness Pledge Program Starts Now!

Your wellness should be top of mind all year round. That's why the health system has redesigned the Wellness Pledge Program for all benefits-eligible employees who plan to enroll, or re-enroll, in the North Shore-LIJ Value or Buy-Up medical plans with UnitedHealthcare in 2015.

Available Now
Unlike previous years, the Wellness Pledges are available to you now through September 30, 2014. In conjunction with Employee Wellness, the Benefits Team is hoping by offering you these opportunities well in advance of Open Enrollment you will  be more prone to take positive action about your health early on.

Here's How it Works
You have from January 1 to September 30, 2014 to complete four Wellness Pledges in exchange for four paycheck credits in 2015. Each pledge is worth $260 annually, totaling $1,040 in savings to your pockets in 2015.
Step One: You must choose to complete and submit your health assessment in order to proceed with the other three out of nine pledges offered. The reason for this HA requirement is so you take accountability of your health.

• Visit myuhc.com
• If you have not registered yet: register, login, then click the blue button on the right side of the screen "Health Assessment" - this will take you to another registration and login screen where you will use the same username and password you used for myuhc
• If you are already registered from last year: Simply login and click on Health Assessment and begin the assessment
• Once complete hit submit, and save your confirmation statement.

Keep in Mind

• You cannot resubmit your HA until six months have passed since your last Health Assessment
• If you were unable to complete your 2014 HA until January 2014, your HA is then good for 2015 Wellness Pledge compliance

Step Two: Choose to complete three of the nine pledges listed below before September 30, 2014. Each pledge will be tracked by one of three carriers: UnitedHealthcare, Davis Vision or Cigna. There is nothing for you to track. Choose to act on three of the following Wellness Pledges now, in exchange for paycheck credits in 2015:

1. Physician Wellness Visit
2. Dental Exam 
3. Vision Exam 
4. Breast Cancer Screening
5. Skin Cancer Screening
6. Colorectal Cancer Screening
7. Cervical Cancer Screening
8. Wellness Education Video (not active - you will be notified once live)
9. Health Assessment for a Covered Spouse

For more information and instructions about the 2015 Wellness Pledge Program, visit HealthPort-HR-Benefits.

Visit UnitedHealthcare Online at myuhc.com

If you have medical benefits through North Shore-LIJ's Value or Buy-Up Plan then you have access to valuable health information housed on UnitedHealthcare's confidential  myuhc.com website.

Get Started

Once registered and logged in, you can view your benefits and coverage, medical and reimbursement policies, all while utilizing  interactive tools, such as myHealthcare Cost Estimator,  a tool designed to estimate your healthcare costs, leading you to better decision making.

Great Resource for Health Information

In addition to being a great resource when managing your services and claims, myuhc.com shares valuable health information that is constantly updated and refreshed.

• View May's Wellness Online featuring Blood Pressure Awareness.
• Visit the LiveWell, BeWell, WorkWell section - covering sensitive topics such as grief and loss, domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse, anger management and so much more*. 
• And don't forget to check in and utilize the I Do section. Here you can research weight management, stress relievers, exercise, nutrition and general preventive care.

Download the Health4Me App

Now you can get all this information - and more - right in the palm of your hand. Download the free Health4Me app to your Smartphone and get myuhc.com on the go. Take a moment and view this brief video to see how it works.

*If you find yourself dealing with difficult topics or feelings, be sure to reach out to the North Shore-LIJ behavioral health experts at the Employee Assistance Program: 1-877-327-4968 or eap2@nshs.edu. EAP is a professional, confidential counseling service designed to help you resolve problems that have an impact on your life at home, school or work.

Paycheck Credit for Health Assessment

Are you one of the few thousand people who opened up your email only to discover you did not complete your health assessment in time for the December 2 Health Assessment Pledge deadline? No worries. The email reminder was sent to alert you that the pledge was extended through January 31. The only drawback is you missed out on your January and February paycheck credits.

For those of you that enrolled in the pledge during Open Enrollment, but did not complete the actual health assessment until after December 2 you will not see your $10 paycheck credit until March's pay cycle. The reason for the delay is the time it takes to process the assessment and turn it into a credit. Be positive, there is still time to comply: visit myuhc.com now and begin saving in March! For detailed instructions visit HealthPort>Human Resources>Benefits>Open Enrollment Kit.

Health Assessment Pledge Extended to Jan 31!

What's a New Year without a few New Year's resolutions? Most of us promise to exercise more, eat healthier, and spend more time with family. The health system encourages your efforts not just at the beginning of the year but all year long. Because of your commitment to a healthier lifestyle, the benefits and employee wellness departments at North Shore-LIJ have decided to extend the 2014 Health Assessment Pledge to January 31, 2014. This extension should provide you and your covered spouse (if applicable) the time needed to complete and submit the online Health Assessment. Here's what you have to do to receive the $10 paycheck credit beginning in March:

1. Visit myuhc.com
2. Register and login with a username and password
3. Click on the Health Assessment tab on the right side of page
4. Register and login using the same username and password you used for myuhc.com
5. Answer security questionis
6. Fill in the health information
7. Hit submit

The Health Assessment will ask you for the results from a recent doctor's visit. If you were unable to visit with your physician recently you can use your biometrics from a previous exam.

Visit HealthPort>Human Resources>Benefits>Open Enrollment Kit  for details on how to access and submit the Health Assessment.

Note: This extension for compliance is for the Health Assessment Pledge only, all other pledges were closed December 2, 2013, as previously communicated. 

Happy and Healthy New Year to All!

Wellness Pledge Advantage

Your health and wellness is an important piece of the North Shore-LIJ strategy to be a leader in preventive care for our communities and all employees. The newest Wellness Pledge for 2014, a video which was designed to engage you and your family in the health system's proactive thinking on health awareness, is a direct link to another Pledge, the Health Assessment Pledge. The creation of both Pledges stems from the true passion of our own wellness experts, Dr. Jennifer Mieres, SVP of Community and Public Health and Dr. Jacqueline Moline, VP of Population Health.

1. If you have not gotten the opportunity to watch the Wellness Video, visit HealthPort>Quick Links>iLearn. The health system's Learning Management System will guide you through the Wellness Module and Video. 
2. If you have not gotten the opportunity to fill out your Health Assessment, visit myuhc.com, register and login, click on Health Assessment on the far right side. The HA is housed in a secure portal through UnitedHealthcare and keeps your health information 100% confidential. 

Both Pledge actions will credit your 2014 paycheck $260 each, as long as you comply before December 2. Yes, that's right ... it pays to be healthy!

Get Your Health Assessment Now

Open Enrollment for your 2014 Benefits Package is still a few months away but it's never too early to pledge to be well. One of the four Wellness Pledges for 2014 (which will credit your pay statement $260 for the year) is the Health Assessment Pledge. Similar to last year's Know Your Numbers/HRA Pledge you will need to fill in your health information on a secured site. Here's what you can do now to get a head start on wellness:

1. Register and login to UnitedHealthcare's myuhc.com and select the Health Assessment tab located on the far right side of the home page. 
2. Register and login using the same username and password as you did when registering on myuhc.com. 
3. Answer several security questions before you can get started. 
4. Take the Health Assessment by filling in the pre-populated fields.*
5. Hit Submit. If you have not completed the Assessment you will be notified that you have an additional 92 days to complete.

*To fill in your numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol, and Body Mass Index (BMI) you can contact your physician to see if it's time for a physical, and chart your updated biometrics in the myuhc.com portal.

Note: As long as you complete the Health Assessment and hit the submit button you will be credited for the Pledge in 2014.

Newly Hired?
If you were recently hired, you will not be able to access the Health Assessment until your benefits are active, which is the first day of the month following 32 days after your date of hire.