1619 - BOARD-SPONSORED WELLNESS PROGRAM
The School Board sponsors a voluntary Wellness Program that is designed to promote health and prevent disease. The Program is available to only employees who participate in the Corporation’s health insurance program.
The Wellness Program is a Participatory Program that strives to improve the health of or prevent disease in, participating individuals.
As addressed below, because the Wellness Program includes measurement, testing, screening, and/or collection of health-related information, the Program will provide participants with results, follow-up information, or advice designed to improve the participants’ health.
Employees’ spouses and other covered dependents may participate in the Wellness Program.
The Wellness Program provides educational health-related information and/or programs, including:
- nutrition classes;
- weight loss program;
- smoking/tobacco cessation programs;
- diagnostic testing programs that are not tied to outcomes;
- on-site exercise facilities/discounted gym memberships;
- coaching to help employees meet health goals.
A component of the Wellness Program involves employees participating in a health risk assessment (HRA) that involves the employees answering disability-related questions (i.e., completing a medical questionnaire) and/or undergoing a medical examination, such as biometric screening for risk factors (e.g., high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes, etc.).
To participate in the HRA, an employee must provide prior knowledge, voluntary and written authorization, to permit the Program to collect the medical information. The authorization form will describe the confidentiality protections and restrictions on the disclosure of genetic information.
The Board also provides an opportunity for an employee's spouse to voluntarily choose to answer questions about his/her health (i.e., completes a medical questionnaire) and/or to undergo a medical examination (e.g., to detect high blood pressure or high cholesterol) as part of his/her participation in the Wellness Program. All information obtained will be kept confidential and will not be used to discriminate against the employee.
The HRA must be administered in connection with the spouse’s receipt of health or genetic services offered by the Board, including such services offered as part of the Wellness Program.
The Board will not deny access to health insurance or any package of benefits to an employee, or the spouse or other covered dependent of the employee, or retaliate against an employee, due to a spouse’s refusal to provide information about his/her current or past health status as part of the Wellness Program.
Before participating in the HRA, the employee’s spouse must provide prior knowledge, voluntary and written authorization, to the Board to collect the medical information. The authorization form will describe the confidentiality protections and restrictions on the disclosure of genetic information.
As stated above, the Wellness Program is strictly voluntary. As such, employees are not required to participate, the Corporation will not deny coverage under any of its group health plans or particular benefits packages within a group health plan for nonparticipation, and the Corporation will not limit the extent of benefits (except as provided herein) for employees who do not participate. Additionally, the Corporation will not take any adverse employment action or retaliate against, interfere with, coerce, intimidate, or threaten an employee based upon his/her participation or nonparticipation in the Program or failure to achieve certain health outcomes.
The Program is designed so that it is not overly burdensome, does not involve unreasonably intrusive procedures, or does not require employees to incur significant costs for medical examinations.
All medical information gathered as part of the Wellness Program will be kept confidential in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Corporation will provide participating employees with a clear, understandable written notice that 1) describes the type of medical information that will be obtained and the specific purposes for which the medical information will be used, and 2) describes the restrictions on the disclosure of the employee’s medical information, the Corporation representative or other parties with whom the information will be shared, and the methods that the Corporation will use to protect the medical information so that it is not improperly disclosed.
The Board receives information collected by the Wellness Program only in aggregate form that does not disclose, and is not reasonably likely to disclose, the identity of specific individuals.
While an employee’s child(ren) may participate in the Wellness Program, the Board will not inquire about the child(ren)’s current or past health status.
Furthermore, no employee or spouse of an employee is required to agree to the sale, exchange, sharing, transfer, or other disclosure of medical information (except to the extent permitted by Federal law and regulations to carry out specific activities related to the Wellness Program), including information about the manifestation of disease or disorder of the employee’s family members, or otherwise waiving the protections afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) as a condition for participating in the Wellness Program or earning an incentive for participating.
The Wellness Program does not discriminate on the basis of disability. As such, employees will not be denied access to the Wellness Programs on the basis of disability and will be provided reasonable accommodations (e.g., adjustments or modifications) that allow them to participate regardless of any disability.
The Board will not deny access to health insurance or any package of benefits to an employee, or the spouse or other covered dependent of the employee, or retaliate against an employee, due to a spouse’s refusal to participate in the Wellness Program.
As stated above, the Wellness Program is strictly voluntary. As such, employees are not required to participate, the Corporation will not deny coverage under any of its group health plans or particular benefits packages within a group health plan for nonparticipation, and the Corporation will not limit the extent of benefits (except as provided herein) for employees who do not participate. Additionally, the Corporation will not take any adverse employment action or retaliate against, interfere with, coerce, intimidate, or threaten an employee based upon his/her participation or nonparticipation in the Program.
The Program is designed so that it is not overly burdensome, does not involve unreasonably intrusive procedures, or does not require employees to undergo medical examinations.
While an employee’s child(ren) may participate in the Wellness Program, the Board will not inquire about the child(ren)’s current or past health status.
Furthermore, no employee or spouse of an employee is required to agree to the sale, exchange, sharing, transfer, or other disclosure of medical information, including information about the manifestation of disease or disorder of the employee’s family members, or otherwise waiving the protections afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) as a condition for participating in the Wellness Program or earning an incentive for participating.
The Wellness Program does not discriminate on the basis of disability. As such, employees will not be denied access to the Wellness Programs on the basis of disability and will be provided reasonable accommodations (e.g., adjustments or modifications) that allow them to participate regardless of any disability.
© Neola 2019