Myth busters: Wellness Rewards edition

Employees and spouses eligible for the ActiveHealth program can each earn up to $500 in Wellness Rewards in 2024. These wellness activities can make a real difference for your health and offer opportunities for early diagnosis of medical conditions, support in learning how to make healthy choices and more. Many employees are already on the way to earning their $500 in rewards for 2024, but we know that others may be more hesitant. We’ve addressed a few common concerns below:

“I don’t want to spend time earning rewards now that they’re taxed.”

Gift cards redeemed through the Wellness Rewards Program are taxed based on IRS regulations and the money saved by earning the previous premium discount was also subject to those regulations. Currently, the value of the gift cards you redeem will be included in your gross wages on a paycheck following the gift card redemption so that income tax can be applied. You’ll still be left with a net positive after taking the income tax into account.

“I’d prefer to use my wellness rewards to pay bills or things I already need to buy.”

While there’s a wide variety of gift cards to choose from including CVS pharmacy, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Lululemon, Macy’s Michaels, Petco, Target, Wayfair and more—you can also redeem your Wellness Rewards as a prepaid Mastercard. This gift card functions like a debit card and can be used for everyday expenses like groceries, saved for a rainy day, used to cover extra costs during the holidays and more. The possibilities are endless.

“It takes too much time to earn Wellness Rewards.”

Some of the Wellness Rewards activities do require scheduling an appointment, but you can do several from the comfort of your home. For example, you can:

• Earn $5 by completing a mental health check in each month for up to $60 per year.
• Earn $5 for completing a Wellness Webinar for up to $25 per year.
• Earn $10 by completing the Maximize Your Program Webinar.
• Earn $20 for each individual coaching session you complete for up to $100 per year or $5 per completed group coaching session for up to $25 per year (there are both in person and virtual options for both types of coaching sessions).
• View the full list of rewardable activities.

While preventive care activities do take more time to complete, they are an important part of maintaining your overall health. An annual physical is considered preventive care so there is no charge to you if you schedule with an in-network provider. Plus, you can earn $200 in wellness rewards for completing your annual physical and submitting your completed annual physical results form. You will receive a confirmation email when you successfully submit your annual physical results form. It can take up to one month to process the annual physical form, so we recommend checking it off your list as soon as possible. Remember, all gift cards must be redeemed by December 31, 2024.

“I don’t want to pay for medical visits to earn wellness rewards”

Preventive care is not subject to deductible or co-insurance and annual physicals, dental exams and cleanings, cancer screenings, and vaccines are typically considered preventive care. There is a $10 copay when you complete an eye exam at an in-network provider. If non-preventive care is provided at the same time as preventive care, there could be out-of-pocket costs. If you have questions about whether a visit will be considered preventive care or diagnostic care, contact Anthem at 1-877-814-9709 or login to Anthem.com or the Sydney app.