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Additional Perks & Benefits

Emotional Wellbeing Solutions

The Emotional Wellbeing Solutions (formerly called the Employee Assistance Program) and behavioral health benefits are administered by Optum®.

Optum Health
855.HERE4TN (855.437.3486)
24/7
Here4TN.com

Eligibility

EWS services are available to all benefits-eligible employees and their eligible dependents, even if they are not enrolled in medical insurance through Partners for Health.

The Here4TN team will find you a provider based on your specific preferences, concerns and availability.

Call 855.437.3486 or visit Here4TN.com for more benefits information and resources.

Services

The following EWS services are offered at no cost to eligible employees and eligible dependents and are meant to be a place to start when you are going through life challenges or need extra support. . Specialists are available 24/7 at 855.437.3486 to assist with stress, legal, financial, mediation and work/life services. They can help you find a network EWS short-term counseling provider, a plumber who works nights, services for your elderly parents, theater tickets, all-night pharmacies and much more.

  • Short-term Counseling includes five visits per problem, per year, per individual at no cost to you. Available in person, by phone or by virtual visit. Members are not eligible for EWS counseling visits while they are receiving behavioral health services.

  • Preauthorization is required to use your EWS short-term counseling services. Simply call 855.437.3486 or go to Here4TN.com to obtain preauthorization.

  • Virtual visits allow you to get the care you need in the privacy and comfort of your home. Call 855-Here4TN for assistance with an authorization and a referral to a licensed virtual visits provider. Click here for additional information about virtual behavioral health visits.

  • Legal services include one 60-minute telephone or in-person consultation per issue per year at no cost to you.

  • Mediation services with a professional mediator include one 30-minute telephone or in-person consultation per issue per year at no cost to you.

  • Financial services with a money coach include two 30-minute calls per issue per year.

  • Work/Life services to help you save time and reduce stress by pulling together information about many household, family and health care services specifically for you upon request.

Optum Health also offers confidential and anonymous access to a wide variety of information and resources on their website at Here4TN.com or by calling 855.437.3486.

Take Charge at Work

A coaching program that helps members with stress and depression improve their performance at work.

Eligibility

  • All state and higher education benefit eligible employees, over the age of 18

  • Dependents over the age of 18, eligible for EWS, and who are working either full or part time 

Working with a coach over the phone, learn to manage symptoms of depression and stress in the workplace so you can feel productive again. It’s available at no additional cost to you as part of your EWS. To learn more or find out if you qualify by taking the assessment, go to Here4TN.comClick here for the program flyer.

Behavioral Health Virtual Visits

Behavioral health virtual visits are available through Optum, your behavioral health care vendor. Standard office visit costs apply. For more information, go to the behavioral health webpage at https://www.tn.gov/partnersforhealth/health-options/behavioral-health.html.

 

Self Care by AbleTo App

Self Care by AbleTo is the new self-care app available through Optum. Connect with 24/7 on-demand help for reducing worry, stress and improving mood. AbleTo features daily mood tracking and self-guided journeys. You can access tools to strengthen resilience and learn relaxation methods. Get more information, including how to register and download the app at Here4TN.com.

 

Talkspace Online Therapy

Talkspace lets you communicate with a therapist by text, audio or video, 24/7 from your smartphone or desktop within the secure app.

  • Talkspace is available to all health plan members and dependents who are enrolled in medical insurance. Talkspace sessions have the same cost share or coinsurance rate (after deductible) as an outpatient office visit.

  • Talkspace is also an option for those using the five EWS visits per issue, per year at no cost. This includes all state and higher education employees and local education, local government and retirees who are enrolled in health insurance. Before scheduling, contact 855.HERE4TN or Here4TN.com for the required authorization. Providers are available five days a week. The following services are considered a visit:

    • One week of unlimited messaging is equal to one visit.

    • A live video visit equals one visit.

Get more information at Here4TN.com, including how to download the app, or view the program flyer here.

Sharecare 
888.741.3390
Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. CT

To learn more about the program and resources go to: sharecare.com/tnwellness

To get started with Sharecare, go to stateoftn.sharecare.com after Jan. 1.

 

Wellness Program Eligibility: All employees, spouses, adult dependents and retirees enrolled in medical insurance with Partners for Health have access to the wellness program. For some programs, you’ll have to meet eligibility criteria.

Your wellness program includes:

•    Sharecare Profile – you will need to set up your account with Sharecare to participate in the wellness program and personalize your account. To learn more about all of the resources available in your profile, go here.

•    RealAge Test – take the RealAge test to find out how old your body thinks you are and to personalize your Sharecare profile. Completing the Real Age Test is required to unlock your incentives. To get started, go to stateoftn.shareccare.com

•    Biometric Screenings – Quest will continue to be our biometric screening vendor. You now have four options to compete a biometric screening: Onsite, Quest Diagnostic Patient Service Center, Physician Results Form and at-home screening kit from Quest.  You’ll no longer have to set up a separate account with Quest. Just register at stateoftn.sharecare.com and log in. Navigate to Achieve and click on the Programs tile. Select Health Screening to go to the Quest site and select your screening option. To learn more, go here.

•    Health Coaching and Guided Programs – You have the opportunity to work on your wellness goals and get personalized support with a trained coach and/or registered nurse. To get started, go to stateoftn.sharecare.com and select Achieve and choose from the following programs:

•    Lifestyle Coaching: Learn to manage stress, get to or maintain a healthy weight, quit tobacco and reduce your health risks.

•    Chronic Condition Management: Get support for diabetes, coronary artery disease, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

•    Eat Right Now: This app-based program can help you get to or maintain a healthy weight. The program includes a digital scale and fitness tracker, daily lessons and the opportunity to speak live with a coach. To learn more, go here.

•    Onduo Intensive Diabetes Management Program: This virtual care program provides support for people with type 2 diabetes whose A1C is greater than 8%. Track your glucose levels with the provided blood glucose meter and learn how food, activity and medications impact your blood glucose. You even have access to a virtual clinic. To learn more, go here.

•    Unwinding Anxiety: This is a 30-day program that only takes 10 minutes per day. You’ll get video lessons, mindfulness exercises, journaling, community support and check-ins. You’ll learn how to switch gears the moment anxiety arises and overcome those anxious feelings.

•    Quarterly Challenges – To help you build healthy habits throughout the year, there will be four challenges. The first one starts March 1. To learn more about each challenge, go here.

 

Incentive Program 

Note: Cash incentives are only available for active state and higher education employees and spouses who are enrolled in medical insurance with Partners for Health. 

If you have a question about your 2023 incentives, please email partners.wellness@tn.gov. We’ll work with the prior wellness vendor, ActiveHealth, to research your question.

Click here for a printable 2024 Incentive Table that shows all the ways enrolled state and higher education members and spouses can earn cash incentives and how to get started.

Enrolled state employees: You can put your wellness program cash incentives into your health savings account.

State employees can make this choice during enrollment. Note: Any wellness incentives deposited into the health savings account count toward the overall HSA IRS annual maximum. This means you would need to take the 2024 IRS limit and subtract the $500 or $1,000 seed funds from the state, plus subtract how much you think you will earn in wellness program incentives in 2024 to determine how much money you want to contribute to your account pretax. If you complete activities at the end of 2024, the incentive payment could carry over into your 2025 HSA deposit and impact your annual maximum. We’ll notify you by email if that happens.

 

Wellness Resources for all Members         

Diabetes Prevention Program
All members have access to the Diabetes Prevention Program if you meet the eligibility criteria. The DPP is administered by either BlueCross BlueShield or Cigna, depending on which health insurance carrier you choose. For more information about the eligibility criteria and the DPP, go here.

Fitness center discounts offer affordable ways for members to improve their health.

Notice Regarding Wellness Program

The Partners for Health Wellness Program is a voluntary wellness program available to all state, higher education, local education, local government employees, spouses and adult dependents as well as retirees enrolled in health coverage. Only active state and higher education employees and enrolled spouses are eligible to earn cash incentives. The program is administered according to federal rules permitting employer-sponsored wellness programs that seek to improve employee health or prevent disease, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as applicable, among others. If you choose to participate in the wellness program, you will be asked to complete a voluntary health questionnaire (assessment) that asks a series of questions about your health-related activities and behaviors and whether you have or had certain medical conditions (e.g., cancer, diabetes, or heart disease). You are not required to complete the assessment or other medical examinations. Although you are not required to complete the health questionnaire, only active state and higher education employees and spouses who do so are eligible to receive cash incentives. If you are unable to participate in any of the health-related activities required to earn an incentive, you may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation or an alternative standard. You may request a reasonable accommodation or an alternative standard by contacting the Partners for Health Wellness Program at 888.741.3390. The information from your health questionnaire and the results from your biometric screening will be used to provide you with information to help you understand your current health and potential risks. It may also be used to offer you services through wellness programs such as weight management, Diabetes Prevention Program, and other programs. You also are encouraged to share your results or concerns with your own doctor.

Protections from Disclosure of Medical Information

We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your personally identifiable health information (PHI). Although the wellness program and the State of Tennessee may use aggregate information it collects to design a program based on identified health risks in the workplace, the Partners for Health Wellness Program will never disclose any of your personal information either publicly or to your employer, except as necessary to respond to a request from you for a reasonable accommodation needed for you to participate in the wellness program, or as expressly permitted by law. Medical information that personally identifies you that is provided in connection with the wellness program will not be provided to your supervisors or managers and will never be used to make decisions regarding your employment. Your health information will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or otherwise disclosed except to the extent permitted by law and the State of TN’s contract with Sharecare to carry out specific activities related to the wellness program, and you will not be asked or required to waive the confidentiality of your health information as a condition of participating in the wellness program or receiving an incentive, if eligible. Anyone who receives your information for purpose of providing you services as part of the wellness program will abide by the same confidentiality requirements. The only individual(s) who will receive your personally identifiable health information are the wellness vendor (nutritionists, nurses, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, health coaches, and other health care professionals) and their vendor partners (case managers with the medical and behavioral health vendors, diabetes remission program vendor, and the biometric screening vendor) to provide you with services under the wellness program. In addition, all medical information obtained through the wellness program will be maintained separate from your personnel records, information stored electronically will be encrypted and no information you provide as part of the wellness program will be used in making any employment decisions. Appropriate safeguards will be taken to avoid any data breach, and in the event a data breach occurs involving information in connection with the wellness program, you will be notified promptly. You may not be discriminated against in employment because of the medical information you provide as part of participating in the wellness program, nor may you be subjected to retaliation if you choose not to participate. If you have questions or concerns regarding this notice, or about protections against discrimination and retaliation, please contact Partners for Health at partners.wellness@tn.gov.

To participate in any of these educational benefits, complete the forms found in OneStop (under the Employee tab) and selecting "Benefits and Deductions."

 

For Employees:

All full-time regular employees are eligible to use both the PC191 fee waiver program, available upon employment, and the Tuition Reimbursement Program, available after 6 months of employment. These programs can be used together, but the PC191 must be used first. You can review the procedures for both programs in policy 5:001 Educational Expenses for APSU Employees. These program may be used for undergraduate and graduate courses.

The PC191 Fee Waiver Benefit allows for tuition and fees to be waived for 1 course per semester* (up to 4 credit hours), 4 semesters per academic year. It is available for courses at any public higher education institution within Tennessee. You can view participating institutions here. This benefit is available upon employment. There is no payback provision for this benefit.

The Tuition Reimbursement Benefit allows for tuition and fees to be paid for 2 courses per semester* (up to 6 credit hours), 4 semesters per academic year. It is available to use only for APSU courses. Though reimbursement is in the name, the benefit acts more like the fee waiver in that it will cover the cost of courses prior to the semester start date, so you can submit this request before the course begins. Continued use of this benefit after the first time requires a satisfactory grade in courses for which the benefit has previously been applied. This benefit is available after 6 months of employment. There is a payback provision for this benefit. Please review the aforementioned policy carefully. 

A semester is referred to as "term" in policy 5:001. “Term” for both benefit programs is defined as a period of time for which a student receives a grade; however, the term for which these benefits are used must end before the same form may be used for another term (class end date and start date for the next term must not overlap). The PC191 fee waiver benefit must be used first, and you can use both benefits in the same semester. For the reimbursement benefit, if only three hours are taken during the term, the form may be used for the additional three hours for an overlapping term.

 

For Dependents:

The Spouse/Dependent Discount is available to provide a discount for the spouse (any age) and dependents (aged 26 and under) of full-time employees on tuition and mandatory fees at any public higher education institution in Tennessee. The discount is limited to undergraduate fees and does not apply toward graduate fees. Please review Policy 5:005 Educational Assistance for Spouses and Dependents of APSU Employees for more information.

 

The list of eligible institutions for the PC191 Program and the Spouse/Dependent Discount Program can be found here