What is the Wellness Incentive Program?
The Wellness Incentive program is designed to encourage eligible members to complete healthy activities within a program year in order to earn an incentive payment. Through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island, we are able to offer the Virgin Pulse wellness program to covered employees and their eligible family members.
How do I participate?
Eligible employees and their covered family members must complete both required and optional activities within the Wellness Program year (ending 6/30/2020), in order to earn an incentive payment payable in September 2020.
Who is eligible to participate in the Wellness Program?
Currently, the Wellness Incentive Program is available to non-union City and PPSD employees and employees of Local Union 1033 (City and School) and Providence Teachers Union who are covered under a City of Providence medical plan. Spouses who are covered under the medical plan are also eligible to participate. Only employees and spouses will have the ability to create a Virgin Pulse account.
COVID-19 Resiliency Tips + Support
Group Specific Wellness Programs
Local Union 1033 Incentive Program
Non Union Wellness Incentive Program
Providence Teachers Union Wellness Incentive Program
Additional Tools and Resources
Virgin Pulse Registration Instructions
Doctors Online Frequently Asked Questions
Want to check your status? View your statement in the Virgin Pulse app. Click on “Rewards” and then “View Your Full Statement”.
Wellness Program Components for Employees and their Covered Spouses
Required Activities
- Create a Virgin Pulse account – follow the Registration Instructions to get started. You can access Virgin Pulse either from a desktop/laptop computer, or on your smart device.
- Having a hard time remembering your email or password? There is a Chat function where you can get real time help from the Virgin Pulse Customer Service team
- Create a Doctors Online account – you will need to download the Doctors Online app to your video-enabled laptop or smart device. Be sure to add in your BCSBRI Member ID under details to receive credit.
- Not into telemedicine? No worries, you don’t need to actually use it to satisfy this requirement. You will just need to have this available in the off chance you want to use and save $$ on an office visit.
- Annual Well Visit – your annual well visit will flow through the BCBSRI claims process and there’s no additional action needed on your behalf! If you are a spouse on Coordination of Benefits, you will need to supply your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your primary insurance to benefits@providenceri.gov or fax to 401-680-5457 in order to receive credit.
- Already went for your annual well visit, but it’s not showing? Claims can take anywhere from four to eight weeks to reflect in the Virgin Pulse system.
- Dental Exam – your dental exam will flow through the Delta Dental of Rhode Island claim system over to BCSBRI and Virgin Pulse, so no additional action will be needed here!
- Had a cleaning, but it’s not showing? Claims can take anywhere from four to eight weeks to reflect in the Virgin Pulse system.
Optional Activities (must complete 3 of the following):
- Connect a device to track steps – you can use a smartwatch or your smartphone. We don’t care how many steps you take for the first year of the program – just get moving!
- You may need to go into your smartphone health app (for example Apple Health, FitBit or S Health) to allow the data to be shared.
- Not seeing the steps in the Virgin Pulse app. Refresh your health app and this will also sync to the Virgin Pulse app!
- Complete a Health Risk Assessment – this is an online lifestyle questionnaire that will take anywhere from 10-15 minutes to complete. You will be asked how much sleep you get, if you wear sunblock, how many fruits and veggies you consume. Your responses are kept confidential as the City will only receive high level (not person specific) reporting.
- Think you already did this, but you didn’t receive credit? Log into Virgin Pulse and click “Programs”. If you completed the Health Assessment, you’ll be given a score between 0-100. Don’t like your score, you can always take the assessment again!
- Biometric Screening or PCP Form – this is where you can track your glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol results. If you didn’t participate in a screening earlier this year, you can download your personalized PCP form straight from the Virgin Pulse app. Your physician will complete and return to Virgin Pulse directly for credit.
- Remember to not share your PCP form with your spouse/coworker! Each member has their own unique identifier – you don’t want your spouse/coworker’s results loaded into your profile!
- Nicotine-Free Agreement – the simplest of the activities, it’s simply a click of a button on your member profile.
- Thought you did this already, but it’s not showing? This is an annual activity in Virgin Pulse – but don’t worry, if you completed it in 2019, we’ll give you credit for the Wellness year ending 6/30/2020.
- Vision Exam – your annual vision exam will flow through the BCBSRI claims process and there’s no additional action needed on your behalf!
- Not seeing the credit for this activity? Check with you provider that this was a vision exam and not just a lens fitting. If it was truly an exam, give the Benefits Office a call at 401-680-5279 and we can look into it.
- Already went for your annual vision visit, but it’s not showing? Claims can take anywhere from four to eight weeks to reflect in the Virgin Pulse system.
- Convert to mail order for prescription drugs (Local Union 1033 only) – if you’re taking a maintenance medication (something you take every day such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes) and have your retail script change from 30 days to a 90 day fill, you’ll save on your copay and complete an optional activity!
Wellness Program Components for Single Parent Families
If you are the only adult covered under your medical plan with the City of Providence, your wellness program requirements and optional activities are the same as above.
For your covered child(ren), there are just three requirements:
- Annual Well Visit – same process for adults, the claims will flow through the BCBSRI claims process and credit will be given – no additional action needed!
- Dental Exam – credit for dependent children will be earned by downloading the Dependent Dental Form on the Virgin Pulse app. Your unique identifier will be populated. You will simply need to bring this form to your child’s dentist for completion and the dentist will need to return the form directly to Virgin Pulse.
- Vision Exam – same process for adults, the claims will flow through the BCBSRI claims process and credit will be given – no additional action needed!
- If your child does not yet need a vision exam (as directed by your child’s pediatrician) – this requirement will be waived
