Why should I take a health risk assessment?

You will receive valuable feedback about your health and your risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease. You will also learn how choices that you make every day can affect your health – now and in the future.  You can then make a plan, on your own or with the support of your health care provider, to address these risks and make choices that can improve your health.

Why is my employer (the state of Washington) asking me to take a health risk assessment?

Both public and private employers consider HRAs as the standard way of measuring employees’ health, and use them to create policies to maintain and improve employees’ health.

Chronic disease, including cancer, heart disease, lower respiratory disease, and diabetes, account for 70% of all deaths and 40% of health care spending in the United States. Yet, these diseases are largely preventable by eating healthy and getting regular exercise, or manageable if detected early through preventive screenings.

We know that among Washington workers who have health insurance:

• 44% do not meet recommended guidelines for exercise
• 6 out of 10 are overweight or obese
• Nearly 80% don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables

If you take a health risk assessment and begin making changes to improve your health, everyone wins. You’ll win because you’ll feel better, the State will win because employees who are healthier are more productive, and we all win if we can put the brakes on health care spending.

How often do I complete a health risk assessment?

We encourage you to take an HRA once every year. 

Can I complete a health risk assessment at work?

Because Washington Wellness came out of Governor Gregoire’s initiative to promote health and productivity for state employees and their families, the Governor has requested that agency leaders encourage their employees to participate in the HRAs and allow them to take them online while at work.

Can any other members of my household take the health risk assessment?

Yes!  We encourage dependents who are enrolled in a PEBB health plan to take a health risk assessment.

Who has access to my health risk assessment information?

You are the only person, outside of your health plan, with access to this information. You choose who to share it with.

The information you provide in the HRA remains with your health plan. Similar to your other health information, your health plan must keep your HRA information personal as required by the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you report health conditions that call for follow-up, your health plan may contact you to offer you assistance in managing those conditions. For Uniform Medical Plan and Aetna Public Employees Plan enrollees, this follow-up contact is conducted by ActiveHealth Management. ActiveHealth administers health programs, including ActivePHR and the health risk assessment, on behalf of these health plans and complies with the same strict privacy laws.

What will be done with my answers to the HRA?

As an employer, the State will only see a broad picture of employees’ health as a group, assuring anonymity of individuals.  This information will help Washington Wellness agency coordinators and staff identify the group’s major health risks, such as lack of physical activity, and provide evidence-based programs to address the risks.  Washington Wellness works with agencies to provide online and worksite programs and tools to assist employees who choose to reduce their health risks and improve their health.

ActiveHealth Management may contact Uniform Medical Plan and Aetna members if their HRA responses indicate opportunities for better health care. If ActiveHealth Management finds an opportunity, it will let you and your doctor know, so that together you can decide whether to change your treatment.

Does the state or my manager know if I completed the HRA?

No, not unless you tell your manager.  Only you and your health plan know if you completed the HRA. Washington Wellness tracks the number, but not the identity, of employees who complete the HRA.

Will the health risk assessment affect my insurance coverage?

No. The health risk assessment will not be used to guide insurance coverage decisions.

Will the health risk assessment affect my healthcare premiums?

No.  Completing a health risk assessment will not affect your healthcare premiums.

Will the health risk assessment affect my share of healthcare costs?

Not now; however, in the future, completing your HRA and taking action to reduce the risks identified may mean you would pay a lower share of your healthcare costs than employees who do not take a health risk assessment and follow up with action.

How long will it take me to complete the health risk assessment?

It will take about 20-30 minutes and you are allowed to do this on work time.  You will be asked for some log-in information before you begin.

Do I need information from my doctor or provider to answer the questions?

Your most recent blood pressure reading, your height and weight, and the results of lab work you have had done recently are good to have on hand before you start..  There are also questions about when you had your last preventive services or health screenings such as:  flu shot, blood pressure, cholesterol, Pap test, and mammogram.

What kinds of questions are on the health risk assessment?

There are questions about your health habits in the following areas:  physical activity, food selection, tobacco use, sun exposure, women’s health, chronic conditions, preventive services and health screenings, alcohol use and a few others.

Do I have to answer all of the questions?

No, you may skip questions that you do not want to answer. With questions you are comfortable answering, we strongly encourage you to answer them honestly. Your answers are completely confidential.

Is there an incentive for taking the health risk assessment?

You will get personalized feedback regarding your health risks. If you are a Uniform Medical Plan or Aetna member, you will earn a $30 gift card for completing your HRA.

Aetna's Health Assessment is provided by ActiveHealth Management, a third-party vendor that adheres to privacy laws, so no one else has access to your personal data or results. To protect your privacy, you'll need to create a separate user ID and password than the one you use for the Aetna Public Employees Plan website. If you need help, contact the support line at 1-888-803-7434, Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time.

1. Go to ActiveHealth’s “Personal Health Record Sign In” page. If you haven’t registered with ActiveHealth for a Personal Health Record before, click “sign up” on the right side of the page.
2. Log in and click on “Health Assessment” on the left side of the page.
3. Once you’ve completed the health assessment, you should receive a gift card email from Hallmark Insights* within 10 to 14 days.  Check your spam or junk mail folders in case the email gets routed there. If you haven’t received your gift card email within 14 days, call Hallmark Insights* at 1-800-765-4438. To make sure your gift card goes to your inbox, add HallmarkInsights@hallmarkinsights.com to your email list of contacts.
4. BE SURE TO PRINT YOUR HRA RESULTS! Bring them to your primary health care provider to discuss your health risks. Reviewing your results can also help you learn more about accessing your medical plan benefits, or find activities to help you reduce your health risk in your workplace.

 

The new Health Profile is now online and available to Group Health members.

To use the Health Profile, members must be aged 18 or older and be registered for enhanced services on MyGroupHealth. Members can register for enhanced services on ghc.org or by going to the business office at their medical center. To fill out the profile, members log on to MyGroupHealth and click on Health Profile: Fill Out Questionnaire. You'll need your subscriber ID number if you are registering for the first time. If you aren’t able to upgrade your account immediately, you'll receive your code by U.S. mail in 2-5 days and then be able to log on and take your HRA.

Go to Group Health's MyGroupHealth.

 

To take Kaiser's Health Risk Assessment, you'll need to register first if you don't already have a user ID and password (you'll need your Kaiser Permanente health record number to sign up).

1. Go to Kaiser's Healthy Lifestyle Programs.
2. Log in.
3. Select "Get a Personalized Total Health Assessment" (for assistance, call 1-800-556-7677 between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday).
4. BE SURE TO PRINT YOUR HRA RESULTS! Bring them to your primary health care provider to discuss your health risks. Reviewing your results can also help you learn more about accessing your medical plan benefits, or find activities to help you reduce your health risk in your workplace.

 

Uniform Medical Plan’s Health Assessment is provided by ActiveHealth Management, a third-party vendor that adheres to privacy laws, so no one else has access to your personal data or results. To protect your privacy, you'll need to create a separate user ID and password than the one you use for the UMP website. If you need help, contact the support line at 1-888-803-7434, Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time.

1. Go to ActiveHealth’s “Personal Health Record Sign In” page. If you haven’t registered with ActiveHealth for a Personal Health Record before, click “sign up” on the right side of the page.
2. Log in and click on “Health Assessment” on the left side of the page.
3. Once you’ve completed the health assessment, you should receive a gift card email from Hallmark Insights* within 10 to 14 days. Check your spam or junk mail folders in case the email gets routed there. If you haven’t received your gift card email within 14 days, call Hallmark Insights* at 1-800-765-4438. To make sure your gift card goes to your inbox, add HallmarkInsights@hallmarkinsights.com to your email list of contacts.
4. BE SURE TO PRINT YOUR HRA RESULTS! Bring them to your primary health care provider to discuss your health risks. Reviewing your results can also help you learn more about accessing your medical plan benefits, or find activities to help you reduce your health risk in your workplace.

*Hallmark Insights is a third-party vendor contracted to issue Health Counts gift cards. The company does not have access to your health information and will not share, sell, or publish your email address.

 

If you are a Washington State employees not enrolled in a Public Employee Benefit Board health plan (the four listed above), your own health plan may offer a Health Risk Assessment or you can take one at Your Disease Risk, offered by Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, that can assist you in assessing your risk for diabetes, several cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis and stroke. There is no registration and no information collected or stored.

Diabetes (also called adult onset diabetes, non-insulin dependent diabetes, and "sugar") is a disease in which your blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. With Type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. With Type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in your blood.

• More Information (MedlinePlus)
• American Diabetes Association
• National Diabetes Education Program
• Online Tutorial "Diabetes - Introduction" (MedlinePlus)

Heart disease (also called cardiac disease) is the number one killer in the U.S. and a major cause of disability. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It's the major reason people have heart attacks.

• More Information (MedlinePlus)
• American Heart Association

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. High blood pressure (also called HBP, HTN, and hypertension) usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack, and kidney failure. You can control high blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits and taking medicines, if needed.

• More Information (MedlinePlus)
• American Heart Association
• Online Tutorial "Hypertension" (MedlinePlus)

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries. This is called plaque. Plaque can narrow your arteries or even block them. High levels of cholesterol (also called high cholesterol, HDL, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, hyperlipoproteinemia, and LDL) in the blood can increase your risk of heart disease.

• More Information (MedlinePlus)
• American Heart Association
• Online Tutorial "Managing Cholesterol" (MedlinePlus)

Mental health is how we think, feel, and act as we cope with life. While everyone will feel worried, anxious, sad, or stressed sometimes, with a mental illness, these feelings do not go away and are severe enough to interfere with your daily life. Mental illnesses (including depression, phobias, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia) are common – affecting about one in five families in the U.S. While these disorders are real diseases that cannot be willed or wished away, they are often treatable.

• More Information (Medline Plus)
• Depression (Medline Plus)
• Anxiety (Medline Plus)
• Stress (Medline Plus)

Preventive health screenings (also called screenings, health screenings, screening tests, and preventive health) refer to a test or exam done to find a condition before symptoms begin. Screening tests may help find diseases or conditions early, when they are easier to treat. Some conditions that doctors commonly screen for include high blood pressure and cholesterol; breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer; diabetes; and osteoporosis. Other preventive health measures include getting yearly flu shots.

• More Information (MedlinePlus)
• Colon Cancer (Medline Plus)
• Flu Shot (Center for Disease Control & Prevention)
• Pap Test (National Cancer Institute)
• Mammogram (MedlinePlus)
• Online Tutorial "Mammogram" (Medline Plus)

Substance abuse (also called alcoholism, drug abuse, and drug addiction) refers to the overindulgence in and dependence on a drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical health or mental health, or the welfare of others.

The disorder is characterized by a pattern of continued pathological use of a medication, non-medically indicated drug or toxin, that results in repeated adverse social consequences related to drug use, such as failure to meet work, family, or school obligations, interpersonal conflicts, or legal problems and may lead to addiction or substance dependence.

• More Information (MedlinePlus)
• Alcoholism (MedlinePlus)
• Drug Abuse (MedlinePlus)

There's no way around it. Smoking (also called cigar, cigarette, pipe, or tobacco smoking) is bad for your health, harming nearly every organ of the body and causing 87% of lung cancer deaths. It is also responsible for many other cancers and health problems including lung disease, heart and blood vessel disease, strokes, and cataracts. Women who smoke have a greater chance of certain pregnancy problems or having a baby die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Your smoke is also bad for other people - they breathe in your smoke secondhand and can get many of the same problems as smokers do.

• More Information (MedlinePlus)
• Quitline
• Secondhand Smokes You
• Online Tutorial "Smoking - The Facts" (MedlinePlus)