Changing your health habits can be hard. However, losing weight or getting in shape can be easier for you when you have the support of a health coach. A coach can provide unbiased information to help you develop a personalized plan to change behavior. A coach can help you:

• explore what the wellness program has to offer
• set realistic fitness and nutrition goals
• design an action plan to overcome barriers to change

This confidential program, available at no additional charge, is designed to help you reduce your health risks by making long-term lifestyle changes.

Who Is Eligible for Health Coaching

Anyone 16 years and older who is enrolled in the UPlan Medical Program can have a health coach. Through the Wellness Program an effort is being made to offer coaching to employees who are most likely to benefit from the services of a specially-trained health coach.

Health Coaching and Your $65 Wellness Reward

When you or your UPlan-covered spouse or same-sex domestic partner complete the required number of coaching sessions, you may each be eligible for a $65 wellness reward. This is provided that you and/or your partner have not already earned a second $65 reward for this calendar year for completing another program such as HealthPartners 10,000 Steps® or HealthCare Choices.

Starting with a Health Coach

As a UPlan member, you (or your spouse/same-sex domestic partner) may have taken the wellness assessment. Depending upon the results of this 20-minute questionnaire, you and/or your partner may expect to receive an invitation by telephone to enroll in the health coaching program.

If you, your partner, or your dependents have an existing medical condition or disease and have submitted a claim to cover the costs of diagnosis or treatment of the illness, a health coach will also call you to offer over-the-phone advice from a registered nurse.

Health coaching is offered by telephone or in-person. In either case, based upon your risk factors for developing an illness, a health professional will work with you to map out a plan to address your specific goals. Depending upon your health status, you will be enrolled a 6-month or a 12-month program. Over that period of time, the coach will mentor you through a series of advising sessions conducted at your convenience.

Learn More about Coaching by Phone

To ensure your privacy, the University has contracted with Healthways, an independent provider based in Toledo, OH, to deliver health coaching services by telephone to our employees six days a week.

Learn More about Coaching In-Person

Depending upon where you work and live, face-to-face coaching may also be available for you. In-person health coaching services are offered on campus in Duluth, Morris, and in the Twin Cities.