Living Well; Make it a Priority

Program Vision

The University of Texas System- “Living Well; Make it a Priority” Worksite Health & Wellness program was established in 2007 to encourage all employees, retirees and dependents to reach their potential and maintain the productivity necessary to meet the challenges of work and life. By providing a variety of programs, tools and resources, our goal is to enable employees, retirees and dependents to take charge of their health and develop their own personal wellness program utilizing all University of Texas System Institutions program and services.

Program Mission

To improve the health and well-being of Texans though achieving optimal performance level of University of Texas System employees, retirees and dependents health at all Institutions.

Program Goals

• Provide employees, retirees and dependents at all University of Texas System Institutions the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive and integrated health improvement program;
• Reduce and contain lifestyle-related health care costs at all University of Texas System Institutions;
• Measure and reduce health-related productivity costs- presenteeism and absenteeism;
• Integrate the “Living Well; Make it a Priority” program into the employee benefits package at all University of Texas System Institutions;
• Create a culture and environment that supports the “Living Well; Make it a Priority” programs at all University of Texas System Institutions.

HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Health & Well-being Assessment

What is a Health & Well-being Assessment?

A health risk assessment (HRA) is a questionnaire developed to give you an overview of your health risks and strengths. For example, the HRA will ask you to answer questions about your diet, frequency of exercise, family history, safety and other risk factors. After completing the HRA, you'll receive a report outlining your health risks and strengths as well as suggestions for healthier living.

When you are finished, you will receive a personalized health report online, complete with confidential feedback on possible health issues and how to address them.

Read more on how to complete your HRA today!

24/7 Nurse line

Around the clock access through a toll-free number to experienced registered nurses who understand and can help your health care concerns. Call toll-free: 1-888-315-9473, anytime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Quit Smoking: Get going and find help at the Personal Health Manager

Quitting smoking has major and immediate health benefits for people of all ages. Former smokers live longer than continuing smokers and quitting decreases the risk of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke and chronic lung disease. If you are looking for ways to start a smoking cessation program, help is available from the Personal Health Manager tool and resources found at Blue Access® for Members. Go to www.bcbstx.com then log in to Blue Access for Members and look for the Personal Health Manager icon to get started.

Take me there!
Follow the below sets to get to your Personal Health Manager tool:

1. Simply go to http://www.bcbstx.com/ut/
2. Log onto Blue Access with your personal user name and password
3. Select the Personal Health Manager link.
4. With the Personal Health Manager tools, you can:
• Ask A Life Coach to get support and answers to your smoking-related questions
• Use My Charts to track your progress along the way
• Save data and view graphs in Wellness Tools for more detailed information about your success

Healthy Living!

Get well connected with Blue Access® for Members. Resources to enrich your health and lifestyle. Blue Access for Members helps you make the connection to better health and well-being with convenient, online resources for every aspect of your life. Whether you’re searching for claims information, managing a chronic condition, striving to balance work and family or starting a nutrition or exercise program, Blue Access for Members has the answers. And now it’s even easier to make your health a priority and get your goals on track with the Personal Health Manager and the Blue PointsSM rewards program.

When you make the connection with Blue Access for Members, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier, more productive life.

Get healthy, get Blue Points

Need a new point of view when it comes to your health? Then simply view and use any of the features found in the For Your Health section of the Personal Health Manager and rack up Blue Points that you can redeem for cool rewards.

And we’re not just talking humdrum stuff here. The more you and your family members use For Your Health features, the more points you can earn towards:

• Gift cards to a variety of popular retailers
• Health improvement products and equipment
• Electronic merchandise, such as iPods® or digital cameras

Point yourself in a healthy direction with Blue Points.

Take me there!

1. Simply go to http://www.bcbstx.com/ut/
2. Log onto Blue Access with your personal user name and password
3. Click on the Personal Health Manager icon
4. Look for the Blue Points Redemption Center for more details

Save $, use My Rx Choices®

You could save more than $350/year on the prescription drugs you take on an ongoing basis. Use the My Rx Choices® prescription savings program to help lower your costs.

What is My Rx Choices?
My Rx Choices is a complimentary program offered by Medco, your prescription drug benefit manager. My Rx Choices provides you with available lower-cost options to the medications you take on an ongoing basis in order to help you save on your prescription drug costs. To find out more about My Rx Choices, www.medco.com/ and start saving!

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Confidential personal counseling services offered at no charge.

The EAP is a benefit of your University employment which provides confidential, professional assistance to help you resolve problems that affect your personal life or job performance. It is designed to allow you to seek help when you need it, at no charge. The EAP can help with stress, depression, alcohol or drug problems, financial issues, interpersonal problems and much more. It also offers other services such as seminars, training and resource referrals. To find out more about the EAP or to make an appointment, select your UT Institution below.

Visit the UT System EAP main page for a directory of all institutions' EAP.

Manage Your Stress

Relax and stay awhile. Stress management tools from the Personal Health Manager

Do you want to be laid back and stress-free? Take a deep breath, count to 10 and let the Personal Health Manager do the rest. You can compose your questions—and yourself—and get confidential, e-mail answers from a supportive life coach using the Ask A Life Coach feature. Or, turn to the Live Well section where you can equip yourself to deal with life’s challenges, such as:

• Workplace issues
• Financial concerns
• Relationship and family matters

Visit the Personal Health Manager at Blue Access® for Members today-and stay with it to manage your stress.

Take me there!

1. Simply go to http://www.bcbstx.com/ut/
2. Log onto Blue Access with your personal user name and password
3. Select the Personal Health Manager link.
4. Look for A Life Coach feature or Live Well tool for more details

HEALTH CENTER for CHILDREN and FAMILIES

Expecting a Baby?

Understand how important having a healthy baby is to you, so Blue Cross Blue Shields of Texas offers the Special Beginning programs.

Get help and support
Special Beginnings is designed to help you better understand and manage your pregnancy. Specially trained obstetrical nurses will contact you regularly with pregnancy-related educational materials covering:

• Prenatal and postpartum nutrition
• Healthy life choices
• Fetal development
• Newborn care

Whether this is your first baby or you have other children, Special Beginnings is a wonderful source of information and support during your pregnancy.

Enroll in Special Beginnings and Receive a $50 Reward Card from Target. Call 1-800-462-3275 to enroll during your first trimester. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is offering a $50 reward car from Target for women who enroll in and complete the Special Beginnings Program.

My Nine Months - Brought to you by the March of Dimes

There's a lot you can do both before and during pregnancy to help you have a healthy baby. Developed by March of Dimes experts, the My Nine Months web site gives you the information you need — when you need it.

Parents and Kids Health

To children, the world is a large place full of excitement, thrills, opportunities, and questions. As parents, we want our children to be healthy from their head to their toes. Kidshealth.org is a website for parents and kids with information on tips for staying healthy, growing up, dealing with feelings, and articles featuring interactive activities.

NUTRITION CENTER

Isn’t it time you took charge of your food choices? The power is in your hands with the Personal Health Manager’s Eat Right resources available through Blue Access® for Members.

Your Eat Right plan starts with a customized approach to match your unique circumstances and health improvement goals. Planning meals? It’s no problem, thanks to the Meal Planner tool to help you build daily menus or enter your own food choices. Either way, Meal Planner does the math by graphing your daily calories and food servings then comparing them to what’s recommended for you. And you can create grocery lists from your menus, too.

Now you can be the boss of your nutrition plan. Take control with your command center for health and wellness-the Personal Health Manager available through Blue Access for Members.

Take me there!

1. Simply go to http://www.bcbstx.com/ut/
2. Log onto Blue Access with your personal user name and password
3. Select the Personal Health Manager link.
4. Look for the Eat Right tools for more details.

EXERCISE CENTER

Fed up with fitness plans that don’t work for your lifestyle? Try this on for size. It’s Get Fit tools and resources, and you can get them by clicking on the Personal Health Manager icon when you visit Blue Access® for Members.

Shape your body, tone your muscles and unleash the fitness guru inside of you with personalized fitness plans for your lifestyle. Whether you prefer pumping iron or dancing around the kitchen to your favorite music while making breakfast, Get Fit offers you creative, effective and fun ideas for physical activity that fits your life.

Fitting in physical activity just got better with the Personal Health Manager available through Blue Access for Members.

Take me there!

1. Simply go to http://www.bcbstx.com/ut/
2. Log onto Blue Access with your personal user name and password
3. Select the Personal Health Manager link.
4. Look for the Get Fit tools for more details

YOUR KIDS & TEENS

Kids today are faced with difficult challenges, particularly regarding fitness and nutrition. But the For Your Health programs will help you educate and motivate your kids to be more active and learn healthier eating habits. We understand that your children are the most important lives you will ever affect and these programs can help.

Setting up Programs for your Kids
Click on the Family Management (*) button on the left menu list and select the child you’d like to set up a program for. Then click on For Your Health to create Get Fit, Eat Right, and Live Well programs tailored to that child. *Due to privacy regulations, the Family Management button is only available if you are the insurance subscriber. PHM for dependents who are 17 years of age or under is accessible through the subscriber’s login. All activities are logged under the subscriber’s name for audit trail purposes.

For Teens (13 thru 17)
Create customized For Your Health programs for your teens (ages 13-17) similar to your own programs to help them experience first hand the benefits of regular exercise, proper nutrition, and life skills management.

For Kids (12 and under)
The Get Fit, Eat Right, and Live Well areas for your younger children has been designed to be more fun and friendly, utilizing activity scheduling to help create strong habits of active living, good nutrition, and behaviors that build lasting character. When you report on your child’s activities they will earn “miles” that help show them visual progress of their achievements as they “travel around the world.”

Take me there!

1. Simply go to http://www.bcbstx.com/ut/
2. Log onto Blue Access with your personal user name and password
3. Select the Personal Health Manager link.
4. 1. Look for the Kid & Teens tool for more details