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A New Year for Be in the Know Wellness

September 20, 2019

The 2019-2020 campaign year offers fresh opportunities to improve your well-being while earning extra cash. Benefits-eligible faculty and staff members can earn up to $300* in incentives for Be in the Know health and wellness activities between September 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

Be in the Know, Penn’s faculty and staff wellness campaign, is back for its eighth year. Last year’s campaign was another record-breaker thanks to more than 6,200 Penn faculty and staff members who completed a biometric screening. The 2019-2020 campaign year offers fresh opportunities to improve your well-being while earning extra cash. Benefits-eligible faculty and staff members can earn up to $300* in incentives for Be in the Know health and wellness activities between September 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

“[The Be in the Know program] is very easy and simple, says Martin Das, Perelman School of Medicine. “You can earn money and live a healthy life style in a fun way with your coworkers just by joining.”

Penn makes it simple with 3 Steps to Success – a biometric screening, StayWell’s online health assessment, and a variety of Bonus Actions. These Be in the Know activities allow you to earn points and cash while supporting your mind, body, and financial well-being.

Get started today by registering for a free on-campus biometric screening.

What’s New for 2019-2020?

This year’s Bonus Action options include the updated “Refer-a-Friend” Bonus and a new 30 Day Wellness Challenge. Penn has also added bone density screenings to the list of Preventative Health Options for Bonus Action points.

Unlike the 2018-2019 campaign, the current Be in the Know campaign year ends June 30, 2020. All activities must be completed by that date. Documentation, such as a Proof of Bonus Actions form, is due by July 31, 2020.

3 Steps to Success

STEP 1: Your Free Biometric Screening

Quick, convenient screenings are available at various Penn locations October 8 through November 26.

At the biometric screening, a health educator will measure key components of your overall health, including blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and blood sugar (glucose) levels. You also have the option to fast before your screening to learn low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride levels.

“After my first biometric screening, I learned that I was pre-diabetic,” says Helen Xu, Penn Nursing. Xu reports that Be in the Know activities helped her stay on track to improve. “The following year, my measurements were in the clear!”

STEP 2: StayWell’s Online Health Assessment

After your biometric screening, be sure to complete the online health assessment, available October 7 at Penn’s wellness portal, penn.staywell.com. Your current biometric screening values are needed to complete the online health assessment.

2 Core Actions for Your First 100 Points and $100
The biometric screening and online health assessment are the two Core Actions required to earn your first 100 points and $100.

STEP 3: Earn More with Bonus Actions

Get even more rewards by completing Bonus Actions worth up to 200 additional points for a total of $300 this year. There are dozens of qualifying Bonus Action activities in four categories: preventative health, wellness activity, physical activity, and online programs. Bonus Action points can be just the nudge you need to take care of yourself with important annual health screenings, nutrition counseling, exercise, and online challenges. Major activities such as the Penn Comprehensive Smoking Treatment Program are worth as much as 60 Bonus Action points.

Earn 250 Bonus Action points or more (350 total campaign points) to reach the Be in the Know VIP level. On top of the maximum cash incentive, Be in the Know VIPs receive a special gift.

You can earn Bonus Action points for qualifying activities completed at any time during the campaign year, September 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. However, cash incentives for Bonus Actions will not be awarded until you complete the first two Core Actions.

Your Be in the Know Incentives

Just like last year, you can choose to receive all of your incentives in your paycheck or as a Penn Recreation credit.

VIP participants, Donkey Dover, Development and Alumni Relations, earned enough incentives to pay for a weekly chair massage offered by Penn’s Campus Recreation. Dover says, “It’s been a great way to work some self-care into my routine.”

Whether you want treat yourself, challenge yourself, or maintain well-being, Be in the Know and Penn are here to help.

Check the Be in the Know webpage at www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow for complete program details.

*All cash incentives are less applicable payroll taxes. Incentives will be issued in November 2019, and monthly from January to August 2020, in paychecks or as Penn Recreation credits. Payment times depend on when you complete the Core Actions and qualifying Bonus Actions.

Your privacy is strictly protected. Penn receives only aggregated data for the participating population. Penn will never know your individual screening results, health assessment answers or personal health goals.