Assessing Your Health Online

By Scott Culver
Communications Specialist
WEA Trust

December 2003

Making steps now to avoid illness in the future can pay off – literally – in terms of lower health care costs. That is the idea behind the WEA Trust Health Assessment Program, available starting January 2 for subscribers and spouses who have a Trust health plan as their primary insurance.

The program features a secure, confidential health assessment available at www.weatrust.com. Participants are asked about their health history and habits, such as whether they smoke and how often they exercise. Responses are submitted directly to the University of Michigan Health Management Research Center, the survey developer and a nationally recognized leader in health improvement. Personal health information is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and cannot be used to deny coverage or claims. A paper version of the health assessment is available for those unable to access the online assessment.

Completing the online health assessment is easy and rewarding. Participants get instant results, with suggestions for ways to improve their health. For those who could benefit, the opportunity to work with a personal health coach to make healthy lifestyle changes will be offered.

The program was successfully piloted beginning in October. Feedback has been very positive, with 97% of survey respondents saying the online assessment was easy to complete and the questions were clear and easy to understand. In addition, 94% said the results were valuable, and 94% indicated they prefer an online assessment to a paper version.

Posted November 24, 2003