Frequently Asked Questions

Weber State University is taking steps to encourage faculty and staff to live healthier lives by actively engaging in their own health. To promote this healthy behavior, faculty, staff and their qualified spouses on the university’s medical insurance policy can complete an online health risk assessment and blood lipid screening to receive a wellness bonus.

According to the Center for Disease Control, "Focusing on preventing disease and illness before they occur will create healthier homes, workplaces, schools and communities so that people can live long and productive lives and reduce their healthcare costs. Better health positively impacts our communities and our economy."

The bonus amounts are as follows: $300 for employee and $300 for spouse, to be paid during the following pay period once a participant qualifies.

The bonus can be renewed on an annual basis.

Privacy is understandably a great concern for many of us. The Employee Wellness program will only report participant completion status (basically a yes/no indicator) to be used for determining eligibility for the Wellness Pays Bonus Program. No individual medical information such as test results, doctor information, diagnosis, etc. will be provided to anyone other than you.

Qualifying Time: January 1, 2021 and thereafter

Eligible participants must complete the online health risk assessment and complete a blood lipid screening.

 Participants must increase their health score by 1 each year until they reach 4 of 6 of following health guidelines:

• Blood pressure ≤ 120/80
• Fasting blood glucose ≤ 100
• Fasting total cholesterol ≤ 200
• HDL cholesterol ≥ 45
• BMI < 25 OR BF ≤ 22% for men, BMI <25 OR ≤ BF 32% for women
• No tobacco use of any kind

 

Participants who would prefer not to complete a blood lipid screening may take the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change program located on their Employee Wellness Account. 

*Alternate processes will be available for those unable to meet the established guidelines.

To be eligible for the Wellness Pays Bonus Program, you must be a Weber State PEHP Policy Holder. For your spouse to be eligible, they must be covered under the Weber State PEHP Policy.

Receiving a wellness assessment and knowing your numbers is important to achieving a certain level of overall health awareness and can assist with early detection of any potential health concerns. Early detection and an engaged health awareness help lower overall healthcare costs by reducing utilization of emergency room services and by treating conditions at earlier stages.

There are three ways to complete your screening.

1. The Employee Wellness Program will set up 20-minute appointments to complete the required screening protocol, composed of fasting blood work, blood pressure and body composition testing.
2. Healthy Utah can use their testing protocol and complete the wellness assessment form.
3. You can visit one of your health care providers for an annual physical or well-woman preventative examination.  They will need to complete the wellness assessment form.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most preventive services, including physicals and well-woman exams, are covered at 100%. Therefore, you should not be charged a copay when you have your physical/well-woman exam performed by a provider in the appropriate PEHP network unless the visit is not coded as a preventative service when sent by your physician to PEHP for claim processing.  If the office visit for the assessment includes services outside or beyond preventive services as billed by the provider, then an office visit copay may apply.

The Wellness Pays Bonus Program is designed to encourage ongoing health awareness and progression.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, employees and spouses may meet the Bonus Program requirements at anytime throughout the calendar year. Once these requirements are met, the bonus will be added to the employees paycheck during the following pay period once a participant qualifies.

Much like other programs offered by Employee Wellness, you or your spouse is not required to participate. However, participation in this program is the only way to qualify for the Wellness Pays Bonus Program.

If your eligible spouse does not participate, you will not receive the spouse bonus.

You can see your Bonus Program status by accessing the Bonus tab in your personal Employee Wellness account. 

Also, the Wellness Bonus will show as a separate line on your pay stub (wellsave).

The university is unable to pay spouses directly, so the bonus for your spouse will be paid to you and included on a line on your pay stub.

No. One employee will receive $300, and the other will receive $300.

Because the bonus will be effective the pay period after a participant qualifies, you can wait to participate. All requirements must be met at anytime during the current calendar year in order to earn your bonus. 

There is no end date to this program at this time. The program will continue as long as budget allows.

Yes. If you have anyone other than the Employee Wellness program perform your screening, you will need to make sure that you receive results that include:

• Blood pressure
• Fasting glucose
• Total cholesterol
• HDL cholesterol
• Height and weight

The Employee Wellness program has a form available that you can take to Healthy Utah or your health care provider for recording screening numbers.

Yes and no. An annual physical will contain all that is required for the screening. However, the annual physical with your physician includes tests that are more specific to your age and health history and therefore will give you a better idea of your current health status. Please have your physician complete the information on the physician option form.

The Employee Wellness program has a form available that you can take to your health care provider for recording assessment numbers.

The bonus will stop with your final full paycheck.

The Wellness Pays Bonus Program is a separate program with different qualifications and will not affect your participation in other Employee Wellness initiatives. You may still participate in the Wellness Pays Rewards Program without doing an assessment and you do not need to meet the health criteria in the assessment in order to use released wellness time.

No, they are different programs. The Wellness Pays Bonus Program criterion does not need to be met to participate in either program, though a physical assessment does need to be completed in order to participate in released wellness time.