Were you among the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) employees who participated in the Wellness Initiatives program last year and received a reduction in your 2021 health insurance rates? If so, congratulations! If not, consider completing a biometric health screening and health risk assessment before October 8, 2021, to receive the rate reductions in 2022.
Biometric Health Screenings
If you are covered by an MCPS health insurance plan, consider completing a biometric health screening of your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index by October 8, 2021. If you do, you will pay 1 percent less of the total cost of your health insurance in 2022 than you will pay if you do not complete a health screening.
Your biometric health screening may be completed by your primary care physician during your annual physical. CareFirst members also may complete their screening at a CVS Minute Clinic. Due to COVID-19, MCPS Well Aware remains unable to hold on-site health screenings as held prior to the pandemic. Once the Well Aware screenings can be resumed, the online schedule will be updated.
CareFirst BlueChoice plan members: If your primary care physician or a CVS Minute Clinic conduct your health screening, the physician must complete and sign a health screening form as follows:
- Personal physician—CareFirst Health Screening Form
- Minute Clinic physician—Minute Clinic Health Screening Form
Log in at www.carefirst.com for details.
Kaiser Permanente plan members: You MUST register and/or sign in to the Kaiser Permanente incentive web page to confirm your participation in the Wellness Initiatives program.
Health Risk Assessments
In addition to the biometric health screenings, you can save another 1 percent of the total cost of your health insurance in 2022 by completing your medical insurance plan’s online health risk assessment by October 8, 2021. To complete your health risk assessment, visit your medical insurance plan’s web page (CareFirst or Kaiser Permanente) and log in to your password-protected account. (You may need to create an account first.) Follow the on-screen instructions. You will be asked to include your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. For that reason, you may wish to complete your biometric health screenings prior to the health risk assessment so you will have those numbers. Also, to take advantage of the rate reduction, be sure to complete the health risk assessment in its entirety.
Remember: For the incentives to take effect on January 1, 2022, you have until October 8, 2021, to complete your health risk assessment and biometric health screenings. Also, you must complete the assessment and screenings each year during the announced timeframe (a 12-month period beginning the first day of Open Enrollment each fall) to maintain the rate reductions.
Details and relevant links are available on the Wellness Initiatives for Employees web page.
