From Human Resources |
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February 12, 2008, Volume 54, No. 21 |
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Health Aware is an ongoing series designed to help you be proactive in managing your health and healthcare by taking advantage of the many resources available to you as a Penn employee.
Health Aware
Learn About Your Health and Earn the Chance to Win a Year of Free Medical Premiums!
Free onsite health screenings. An online health risk assessment that can help you stay healthy throughout your life. And the chance to win a year of free medical premiums. Starting in March, Penn faculty and staff who receive medical coverage through the University will have access to all of these resources—starting with the click of a mouse.
What’s a Health Risk Assessment?
Health risk assessments are confidential questionnaires that ask basic questions about your health habits and history. In return, you’ll receive an easy-to-understand health report that gives you a non-clinical overview of your current health status, as well as your health risks and how to manage them. Whether you’re trying to get in shape, control an existing condition or just stay fit as a fiddle, you’ll find help through your health risk assessment. You can even print this report and share it with your doctor to keep him or her up-to-date with your complete health picture.
How Can I Win Free Medical Premiums?
Even if you’re in picture-perfect health, there’s another good reason to complete your health risk assessment: faculty and staff members who do so between March 1 and April 30, 2008 will earn the chance to win free medical premiums for a full year. That’s right—receive the same great Penn medical coverage you have now, but pay no premiums for the entire 2008-2009 plan year (July 1, 2008–June 30, 2009). Note that this includes premiums only; copays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses are not included. And keep in mind that you must be currently enrolled in a Penn medical plan in order to be eligible. Three winners will be selected at random from all eligible entrants, and announced in May. Don’t miss the chance to save money while doing something good for yourself!
How Can the Free Onsite Health Screenings Help?
Getting the best results from your health risk assessment requires you to provide some specific health information, such as your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. If you don’t know these numbers, don’t worry—Human Resources is offering free onsite health screenings at five convenient locations around campus. These screenings will give you all the knowledge you need to make your health risk assessment as accurate and effective as possible.
You must pre-register by Thursday, February 28 to attend an onsite health screening. To pre-register, visit www.hr.upenn.edu and click on “Course Catalog” at the top of the screen, then select “Health Promotions” from the “Browse by Category” menu.
Dates and locations for the screenings are as follows:
Houston Hall: Tuesday, March 4
SEAS: Wednesday, March 5
Nursing: Thursday, March 6
Wharton: Tuesday, March 11
New Bolton Center: Wednesday, March 12
You must present your medical insurance ID card (for one of Penn’s medical plans) in order to receive a screening. If you don’t have your medical insurance ID card, please contact your insurance carrier using the information below:
Independence Blue Cross
• By phone: Contact Member Services at (215) 241-2273 or 1-800-227-3114.
• Online: Go to www.ibx.com.
Under “Self-Service,” click on “Request ID Card,” enter the requested information and click “Submit.”A card will be mailed within 5-10 business days.
Aetna
• By phone: Contact Member Services at 1-888-287-4296.
• Online: Log in to Aetna Navigator from www.aetna.com.
You can order a new ID card and/or print a temporary member ID card using the options under “Requests & Changes.”
How Do I Complete My Health Risk Assessment?
Your Penn medical plan determines how you will access your health risk assessment:
• Keystone/AmeriHealth HMO, UPHS POS and PENNCare/Personal Choice Members—Faculty and staff enrolled in any Penn medical plan administered by Independence Blue Cross can complete a health risk assessment by logging into IBC’s online portal at www.ibxpress.com. If you’ve never used this site before, first register a new account. Once you enter the site, click “Personal Health Profile” in the “Healthy Lifestyles” box on the right-hand side of the screen, then choose to “Create your Personal Health Profile now.”
• Aetna HMO Members—Faculty and staff enrolled in Penn’s Aetna HMO medical plan can complete a health risk assessment by logging into Aetna’s “Simple Steps to a Healthier Life®” website at www.simplestepslife.com. If you’ve used Aetna’s online “Navigator™” system before, you can access Simple Steps with the same login name and password. If you’re new to using Aetna’s website, just create a new account.
Where Can I Go If I Have Questions?
If you have questions about online health risk assessments, the free medical coverage raffle, and/or the free onsite health screenings, please contact Human Resources at hr-qowl@exchange.upenn.edu.
To access information about these programs online, please visit the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu.
Facts to Remember:
• You must be currently covered under a Penn medical plan in order to have access to the free screenings, the health risk assessment, and the opportunity to win free medical premiums for a year.
• You must pre-register for the free health screenings by Thursday, February 28.
• You must present your medical plan ID card when you arrive for your screenings.
• You must complete a health risk assessment between March 1 and April 30, in order to be eligible for the drawing to win free medical premiums for a year. Don’t miss your opportunity!
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Human Resources Website Gets a New Look
The Division of Human Resources website—www.hr.upenn.edu—has just completed a major redesign. Featuring a modernized look, the new site is more attractive and easier to read. All of the content of the old site remains available, keeping the information you need right at your fingertips. We welcome questions, comments and feedback about the redesigned website—please contact us at askhr@hr.upenn.edu.
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