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Program Requirements

To participate in the SHBP Retiree Wellness Program, you must complete the online health assessment questionnaire by the due date in your SHBP Retiree Wellness Program invitation letter you received from Horizon BCBSNJ. If you do not complete a health assessment by the deadline in your invitation letter, you may enroll in the program for the following calendar year by completing a health assessment between January 1 and October 31 of the current year.

The health assessment questionnaire must be completed after you retire (or enroll with Horizon BCBSNJ for your retiree health coverage) and before the deadline listed in your invitation letter. Health assessments completed prior to the effective date of your retiree health coverage may not be used to enroll in the SHBP Retiree Wellness Program. The health assessment, which is secure and confidential, will help you identify risks that may lead to chronic disease.

The health assessment covers:

  • Current health conditions
  • Vital statistics, including cholesterol and blood pressure measurements
  • Lifestyle factors, such as exercise, diet, stress, alcohol consumption and tobacco use
  • Life events, including family, key relationships and job status, if applicable

To get accurate results, please have the following information available when you take the health assessment:

  • Height and weight
  • Blood pressure reading
  • Blood sugar level
  • Cholesterol and triglyceride values

If you’ve had your annual physical exam, you can simply call your doctor for these numbers. If you haven’t had your annual exam, you should still take the health assessment and provide the information you do have so you meet your enrollment deadline. After your next annual exam, be sure to update your health assessment.

After completing the health assessment, your health score will be displayed online. Print Reports will give you options to receive feedback based upon your results, including:

  • A detailed summary of your potential health risk factors and their connection to your overall wellness
  • Suggestions for minimizing or eliminating these health risks
  • A summary that you can share with your doctor

We will advise the SHBP if your health assessment is completed by the due date in your SHBP Retiree Wellness Program invitation letter. Individual results will not be reported to the SHBP.

Requirements to stay enrolled

  1. Have a complete physical exam each year, along with the appropriate tests and screenings as recommended by your doctor, and submit a completed Annual Physician Certification (APC) to Horizon BCBSNJ to be received by December 31 each year. Your first annual physical and APC must be completed by December 31 of the year you retire, unless you retire in September, October, November or December. If you retire or receive our invitation letter in those months, you have until December 31 of the following year to have your physical exam and submit your first APC.

    • SHBP health plans cover one annual routine wellness physical exam per calendar year. Submit only one APC each year based on the exam.
    • Most routine screenings are covered only when you use in-network doctors and other health care professionals and facilities.
    • An APC form is in the back pocket of this brochure. Copies are also available at HorizonBlue.com/retireewellness or by calling Member Services at 1-800-414-SHBP (7427).
  2. Re-take the health assessment each year between January 1 and December 31, preferably after your annual physical. Note your current weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and the results of your tests and screenings. See pages 4 and 5 for age-appropriate and gender-specific preventive screening guidelines.
  3. If you are eligible, participate in Horizon BCBSNJ’s Chronic Care Program. A review of claims data and/or your health assessment results may indicate that you are eligible to participate in the Chronic Care Program. The Horizon BCBSNJ nurses who support this program work with you and your doctor to make sure you get the health information and support you need to take care of a chronic health condition. Information about the program and instructions for contacting a nurse care manager will be mailed to you. If you are eligible to participate in the Chronic Care Program, you must do so to maintain your enrollment in the SHBP Retiree Wellness Program.

If you are terminated from the SHBP Retiree Wellness Program for noncompliance or if you did not complete a health assessment by the deadline in your SHBP Retiree Wellness Program invitation letter, you may enroll in the SHBP Retiree Wellness Program for the following calendar year by completing a health assessment between January 1 and October 31 of the current year.

1 If you do not have access to the Internet with Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Firefox 3 or higher, Chrome or Safari, call Horizon BCBSNJ Member Services at 1-800-414-SHBP (7427).