{"id":930,"date":"2024-02-09T15:07:12","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T15:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wyomingtraining.com\/subject-matter-minute-blog\/?p=930"},"modified":"2024-02-13T15:48:34","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T15:48:34","slug":"subject-matter-minute-episode-66-wyoming-on-wellness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wyomingtraining.com\/subject-matter-minute-blog\/subject-matter-minute-episode-66-wyoming-on-wellness\/","title":{"rendered":"Subject Matter Minute, Episode #66 – Wyoming On Wellness Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"

The below post is taken from the Video Blog, the Subject Matter Minute. You can view the episode on YouTube if you would like. Find it here: Episode #66 – Wyoming on Wellness<\/a><\/p>\n

If YouTube is blocked for you or your agency, you can scroll to the bottom of this post to view it from Google Drive. (I would prefer you view it on YouTube, so I know how many people have watched)<\/p>\n

You can also listen to an audio version<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Subject Matter Minute! I hope everyone is enjoying winter! Now that it\u2019s getting back to winter!<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I have a couple updates related to two of the more recent SMM\u2019s. After I did the episode on Pet Insurance, <\/span>I had a couple state employee friends call me out on not figuring out if the benefit is a good deal. One said that he felt let down, and the other said that I\u2019m just a shill for the man.<\/p>\n

But anyways. I did some research into pet insurance, which is an optional voluntary benefit offered by EGI. And I would say that it is \u201cfair to middlin\u2019\u201d price wise. I used a comparison site, used a 5 year old black lab for the pet, and ours came in maybe middle low. There were less expensive plans and considerably more expensive plans. And there are tons of them out there. But, just like with any insurance, different things can be covered, so it\u2019s hard to directly compare. I guess my advice is while it\u2019s a solid choice, everyone may need to do some comparison shopping. (Sorry I can\u2019t be more specific, Bobby!)<\/span><\/p>\n

The other update is on the employee referral bonus. People have been putting this to use! In the first 6 months of the fiscal year, so July through December, the state (HRD?) paid out $30,500. So, about 122 positions filled with folks that were recommended by you. Last year, they paid a total of $18,500 for the full year. So, I guess a lot of you out there have received a chunk of change for getting someone you know a new job. Nice work! I\u2019m hoping that it was the SMM I did back in August that got you all thinking about it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alright\u2026 let\u2019s move on. Today I want to talk about our Cigna benefits that are showcased on the website Wyoming on Wellness. (music)<\/span><\/p>\n

For those of you who were around back in 2019, you may remember that I did an episode that covered some of the wellness benefits that we have through Cigna. Well, that was episode #25, and it still holds up. So give it a watch, if you can. Both for that episode and today\u2019s episode, I was helped along by Alice Burron of Cigna. She is the person that does all the Walkingspree events and the wellness initiatives that regularly spread a bit of money around to many of those that participate. Alice is today\u2019s subject matter expert. Thanks Alice.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, Wyoming on Wellness is a website that tries to make navigating Cigna\u2019s health and wellness resources easier. There is quite a bit of information on the Cigna website, but wellness is just one of the many items. So, if you are looking for help with your financial wellness, your mental health, maybe you need some coaching, want to catch up on the latest walkingspree initiative, etc\u2026 Wyoming on Wellness is where you wanna go.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to take you to the website and give you a little tour.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here is the Wyoming on Wellness .org website. I\u2019m going to take you through the navigation menu here in a minute, but first let’s take a look at the home page. The slider at the top usually has announcements and can be a good place to get started. Just click through them with the arrows. I would suggest you watch any of the videos on the website. They give you good introductory information on all of the aspects of WOW. This one goes through how to make the most of your benefits. And then they map out the 4 steps to get things moving with the Cigna wellness program. The rest of the home page includes links to the events calendar, links to the FAQ, and contact links. We will hit all of that from the top navigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to go through the main menu items here and then finish out with the \u201cwow care navigator.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So the first menu item is the Cigna steps which you get to by clicking on the main menu item.\u00a0<\/span>These are 4 steps to make sure you are making the most of your health plan benefits. And\u00a0<\/span>doing this gets you entered to win gift cards if you register for Walkingspree. They give\u00a0<\/span>hundreds of $50 gift cards throughout the year. So get your free blood draw at the Wyoming\u00a0<\/span>Health Fairs (you get two free screenings a year), register at mycigna.com to fill out your health\u00a0<\/span>assessment, then schedule your annual checkup with your doctor and go through those blood\u00a0<\/span>work results. Your results will show up automatically in your health assessment.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ok, if you go down the menu and click on mycigna, you will get information about the registering step. If you go to the health assessment dropdown, you will get information about taking the health assessment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, let\u2019s move onto events. Here you will see the events calendar, and be able to subscribe to it as well, if you would like. This is where you can find out about walkingspree challenges, webinars, and other special events.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok\u2026 let\u2019s move on to the programs dropdown. If you click on the main menu item \u201cprograms\u201d you will see this page that has the programs shown visually and has some additional info. So you can navigate from this page or the dropdown menu.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So, as you can see the wellness programs include coaching, financial wellness, Mental Health, Omada and Walkingspree. Let\u2019s check out coaching first.<\/span><\/p>\n

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First of all watch the video. It highlights the areas where coaching could help and how we can get it. Then dig through the page to get the details. There are all sorts of areas where coaching could come in handy, like when you\u2019re feeling stressed or would like to work with a coach to\u00a0<\/span>improve your health\u2026 for example.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s move on to financial wellness. The first thing you should do is take the financial assessment. It\u2019s free and it\u2019s pretty interesting\u2026 I took it. Then sign up for the financial webinars that we put on monthly. And, again, we can get help for stress or anxiety related to finances. And who hasn\u2019t had that!?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Next we will head to the mental health page. There are a lot of resources here. They\u2019ve grouped the resources by topic. Building Resilience, Kids Teens and Families, Opioid Use, and Virtual Therapy. Alot of great stuff here. A few that I find interesting right out of the gate include Talkspace where you can get therapy via text messaging or live video. I think I would like text messaging. <\/span>Also, there are a couple for children and teens that also include help for the parents\u2026 Bend Health and Brightline are\u00a0 similar and both provide healthcare and support for the whole family that includes children age 1 to 17. They both offer accessible coaching, therapy and medication management if needed. We can access these services through an app and through virtual sessions.\u00a0 For folks in parts of Wyoming that don\u2019t have pediatric and adolescent mental health providers, or there\u2019s a\u00a0 long waiting list, these services will give you access to Wyoming licensed and in-network providers. You may hear more about Brightline in the future, so keep your eyes open for that.<\/p>\n

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The next program is Omada. This is a free program for folks that are at risk for type 2 diabetes or heart disease. There\u2019s a video that explains what it is about. It sounds very effective. I guess you get a wireless smart scale for free that monitors and syncs your weight to an online account. You do have to be eligible to enroll. (just click on the button on the Omada page to see\u00a0<\/span>if you qualify).<\/span><\/p>\n

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The last of the Program pages talks about the Walkingspree program. Here you can find out how to set up your account, how to earn points, and what you can win. I find the walkingspree challenges to be motivational. Makes me want to get out there and at least walk. And the more points you earn, the higher your chances of winning one of those gift cards!<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok and finally\u2026 they have an FAQ page that has a ton of info on it, a podcast page where there will be monthly podcasts added\u2026 including one this month where I talk about benefits with Alice Burron of Cigna\u2026 so at least check that one out. \ud83d\ude42 And then a contact page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To finish things out let\u2019s take a quick look at the WOW care navigator. This is pretty cool. If you come to the site with a problem but don\u2019t really know where to start, just click here. With a few questions, you can be guided to the information and\/or resources you need.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So, that\u2019s a lot of information, I know\u2026 and to top it off, we also have another EAP that offers similar services. Look back at episode #41 for information on that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The bottom line is that we have access to anything we might need in the wellness area. And it\u2019s for our entire family. Do your research and find what you need to improve your situation, or your life. <\/span><\/p>\n