Healthy Benefits &
Privacy
Why Healthy Benefits?
Healthy Benefits is part of the comprehensive package of “sickness” and “wellness”
benefits provided to you by your employer and CIS. Where traditional insurance benefits
protect you when you are sick, Healthy Benefits is focused on improving your health
and keeping you well. Healthy Benefits services are provided to those who (a) are
enrolled in medical benefits through CIS, and (b) complete a Health Status Questionnaire
(HSQ).
The Healthy Benefits program can help employees avoid high cost medical claims that
impact the cost of their insurance. We have also significant improvement in the
health risks of the CIS population since beginning the program. Since most employees
contribute to the cost of their medical care, you can understand why these goals
are important.
As a Healthy Benefits participant, you will receive:
- A confidential, personal Health Action Guide.* Based on your responses
on your HSQ, this guide will show you health areas where you are doing well, areas
where you may choose to improve, and ideas for getting started.
- "Total health” coaching programs and support materials.*
You can receive personal, confidential health coaching and put an action plan in
place that helps overcome barriers to good health.
- Tobacco cessation and weight management programs:
- Tobacco cessation - employees wishing
to quit tobacco use are eligible to participate in the
Free & Clear program at no charge. Free & Clear is a nationally recognized
coaching and nicotine replacement therapy program that has helped thousands become
tobacco-free.
- Weight management - employees with
a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27 or more, and a desire to lose weight, are eligible
for financial support to participate in Weight
Watchers.
- Medical self-care. Access is provided through a comprehensive,
online medical encyclopedia via Careguide's One Care Street web site. In
addition, you will receive a hard copy self-care guide mailed to your home from
SHPS.
- The Well Street Journal Newsletter mailed directly to your home.
The Well Street Journal is a health newsletter with information for the whole family,
plus timely information about your benefits.
* The HSQ, Personal Action Guide and health coaching
is provided by CareGuide. Information entered on the HSQ, or personal
conversations with a health coach, are completely confidential.
Privacy of Health Information
Healthy Benefits providers CareGuide, Regence, and Kaiser are prevented by
federal law (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act - HIPAA) from
sharing your personal health information with anyone but you. No one -- not your
employer, your insurance company, or CIS -- has access to your Healthy Benefits
personal health information (PHI). CIS receives only aggregate reports that
summarize data on the whole CIS population. This data is used to identify and
develop other programs that will benefit CIS members and their employees.