The West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) offers a variety of programs promoting healthy living initiatives for its more than 200,000 members and dependents. These programs include disease management programs, from the Face-to-Face Diabetes program, to programs targeting awareness of modifiable health risk factors, such as Improve Your Score, which offers monetary rewards for healthy lifestyles and provides valuable information on identified health risks.
Below is a brief summary of PEIA’s health promotion, wellness and disease management programs to assist its members:
1) The PEIA Pathways to Wellness Program is now operating in more than 860 worksites across the state. This program provides participants with health screens for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis. Pathways also offers lifestyle change and grant programs addressing physical activity and nutrition. Detailed information can be found on PEIA’s health promotion Web site at www.peiapathways.com
2) The Improve Your Score Program (IYS) is an outgrowth of the Pathways to Wellness health screens and provides participants with color-coded report cards which clearly define the participants’ risk scores using a color-coded report. Members scoring green (healthy range) receive a $50 check, those in the yellow (moderate risk) receive a $25 check, and those in the red do not receive a check but like those scoring “yellow” are referred to appropriate disease management programs. The participant’s report is shared with the primary care physician for appropriate follow up and intervention. IYS has been very popular with the members and increased participation in Pathways by the thousands. IYS shows participants their changes over time so that they become more aware of their modifiable health risk factors and the measures they can take to improve their risk scores. IYS currently ranks them on blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), glucose and cholesterol.
3) The Face-to-Face Diabetes Program is a disease management program developed by PEIA which provides enrollees with diabetes with health education, regular visits with a provider certified in diabetes self management and waives co-payments on diabetes-related drugs and some lab tests. With more than 4,000 participants, both process and clinical outcomes for these members have improved ensuring that they are receiving the appropriate services when they should, and providing them with the necessary lifestyle skills to improve their health.
4) The PEIA Weight Management Program provides PEIA members with a BMI of 30 or greater, or 25 or greater with a related condition, with the services of a dietitian, exercise physiologist and personal trainer at approved fitness centers. PEIA now has a network of 50 participating facilities statewide. This is the first program of its kind in West Virginia and one of the few in the nation.
5) Tobacco cessation services provide PEIA members with physician services and pharmaceutical support with coverage for one attempt per year, three times per lifetime. Pregnant women have unlimited access.
6) Healthy Tomorrows is the most recent offering from PEIA through ActiveHealth utilizing the CareEngine which reviews claims information and identifies opportunities to improve care. Members with cardiovascular, lung, diabetes, low back pain or depression are provided with nurse counseling on a one on one basis.
7) PEIA’s Renal Care Management Program helps members understand their kidney disease. Staffed by a registered nurse, participants receive consultative and support services.
8) Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease is available to persons diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes, or at high risk for either condition. This hospital based program addresses exercise, stress management, nutrition, and group support.
To learn more about these programs, visit www.wvpeia.com or call PEIA at (888) 680-7342.
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