The City of Fort Worth kicked off its partnership with its new wellness partner, SimplyWell, in May 2015. The City’s Healthy Challenge Wellness Program with SimplyWell rewards full-time, benefit-eligible employees and retirees on the City’s health insurance. To qualify for the Healthy Challenge Wellness Program, employees, retirees, and spouses must first complete three requirements: (1) Complete a Member Health Assessment (MHA) online at Connect.SimplyWell.com; (2) Complete the Tobacco Affidavit online at Connect.SimplyWell.com, attesting to being currently tobacco-free and having been tobacco-free for 3 months prior. Tobacco users will need to complete the reasonable alternative offered through SimplyWell; (3) Receive a physical from a doctor and submit the Physician Screening Form to SimplyWell. The deadline to complete all SimplyWell requirements for anyone hired prior to June 1 of each year, is August 31 of each year.

Though benefit-eligible employees and retirees on the City’s health insurance have the opportunity with the Healthy Challenge Wellness Program to earn up to a $250 payout and reduce their annual health cost premiums by $100 per month, not everyone completes all three of the SimplyWell requirements. With SimplyWell, the City of Fort Worth’s Human Resources’ Wellness Office tracks the number of qualified participants who complete all, some, or none of the three requirements on an annual basis.

Maintaining or improving the health of our health plan members is vital to managing insurance costs and the ability to continue to provide health benefits in the future. By moving to a physician-centered model and focusing on preventative screenings, health risks can be identified sooner and potentially avoid more serious conditions and higher medical costs.

In the first year of the program (CY2015), 82.8% of full-time, benefit-eligible employees and retirees on the City’s health insurance completed all three of the SimplyWell requirements. Our second year (CY2016) of the program will maintain the same target as the first, 90%. However, unlike the first year, in year two the City will require spouses on the City’s health insurance to complete all three requirements as well. These first two years have a target but they also serve as the baseline for the years to come.