Additional Perks & Benefits

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.

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.

Employees who are not interested in earning a degree from the University may apply for admission as an Adult Special Applicant. Use the code APEMPLOYEE to waive the $25 application fee. 

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.