To: All Active Employees and Retirees on the City of Yakima Health Plan

From: Lori Durand of Human Resources

cc: Health Insurance Board

Subject: Wellness Incentive offered to employees, retirees, and spouses

Since 1999, the Health Insurance Board has considered a variety of cost containment measures and benefit enhancements. These changes are intended to help preserve our self-insured program so that we can provide the best benefits to our employees, employee spouses, and retirees at the lowest possible cost. We believe that changing the culture with regard to health-focused efforts, such as wellness incentives will accomplish this. “Know your numbers” is a national best practice to help increase the wellness of employees and their families. It is a great first step in changing the way we look at our health and catching serious health conditions through the completion of a blood draw and a Health Risk Assessment. The City Manager and Insurance Board offer a similar program for Yakima employees, spouses, and retirees on the plan. Participants can earn up to $500. To qualify, employees and retirees must meet the wellness incentive requirements to earn $300. If their spouses participate and meet the requirements an additional $200 of flexible spending money can be earned for a total of $500. How it works: Employees, spouses, and retirees who participate in the incentive: COY Employee Health Screening Cards are available at the miCare clinic and also in the Human Resources office. Completed health screening cards must be turned in to HR no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 1, 2023, to process your flexible spending incentive award. The card has five requirements to attest to:

1. Date and register for miBenefits if you have not done so, then initial.
2. Date and obtain a blood draw. Your blood draws are not required to be done at the miCare clinic but we highly recommend it, as it is free. Labs done outside of the clinic will incur costs. Your physician, miCare physician or phlebotomist must initial. The cutoff date for labs is June 28, 2023. If you had labs done elsewhere after January 1, 2019, you can receive credit and do not have to have labs redone, but you must attend a follow-up with a miCare provider as listed on #3.
3. Date and make an appointment with a miCare provider authorized to review your results. Have your miCare provider initial after review. *Note follow-up appointments should be completed in a few weeks after blood draw for accuracy or you may have to have them redone.
4. Date and complete a new online Health Risk Assessment, annually. Initial. If you have any questions instructions are on the front and back of the card or you can call 1.866.888.8035 for assistance.
5. Visit your dentist between November 2018 and October 2019, keep a copy of the receipt or have your dentist initial you’re COY Health Screening Card.
   

Print your name and employee number on the card and return them to HR as soon as all requirements are met, but no later than November 1, 2019. Don’t wait until the last minute you can send your card to HR, as soon as completed. You can check to see if you have earned your incentive on ICE under Wellness >Programs> Earned Incentive List. Your incentive will be available on your blue benefit card on January 1, 2024, for you and your family’s qualifying flexible spending expenses. Do not throw away your blue benefit card – your incentive award is reloaded on your card, and reused. You will only receive a new card if you are a new participant in flex spending. Remember, you can pick up a Health Screening incentive card at miCare or HR. The cards must be completed and returned to HR no later than 5:00 p.m. November 1, 2023, to ensure the necessary time to process your health incentive award to your flexible spending account. Blood draws must be done by Monday, June 28, 2019. An employee’s spouse is eligible even if the city employee does not participate. If both the city employee and spouse meet the criteria for the wellness incentive a total of $500.00 flexible spending health incentive will be awarded to the employee’s flexible spending account. We care about you and your family and look forward to creating a great partnership by reducing and controlling rising health costs.

This year’s Health Incentive Screening cards must be turned in to HR no later than November 1, 2023, to earn your incentive.