Available Benefits

This page briefly outlines the available benefits.

 

Health Insurance

You have a choice of four health insurance options with either BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee or Cigna. Each carrier offers two networks.  Your choices determine how much your monthly premium will cost. You can see any doctor you want, but your cost is higher if you use out-of-network providers.  There is no guarantee that providers and hospitals in a network when you enroll will stay in that network.  A provider or hospital leaving a network is not a qualifying event and does not allow you to make changes. 

 

Pharmacy and Behavioral Health Benefits

All health plan members and enrolled dependents have access to pharmacy benefits and behavioral health and substance use disorder services.  

 

Emotional Wellbeing Solutions

Emotional Wellbeing Solutions is a service available to you if you are enrolled in health coverage.  Services are also available to your eligible dependents even if they are not enrolled in a health plan.  Information is at tn.gov/PartnersForHealth under Other Benefits and Emotional Wellbeing Solutions.  For all programs and services, and to find a provider, contact Optum at 855-Here4TN (855.437.3486), 24/7, or visit the Here4TN webpage for additional information.

 

Dental Insurance

The state offers two dental options, the Cigna Dental Health Maintenance Organization Prepaid Provider which requires use of a network general dentist and the MetLife Dental Preferred Provider Organization which allows you to use any dentist. You pay the full monthly premium. Dental coverage is offered to you if are an eligible retiree receiving a monthly pension from TCRS based on your own service.  You can visit the Dental Insurance webpage for more information.

 

Vision Insurance

Voluntary vision coverage through EyeMed is available to local government vested and not vested TCRS retirees who meet all eligibility criteria. You must pay 100% of the premium for coverage. A basic and an expanded plan are available. You can visit the Vision Insurance webpage for more information.

 

Wellness Program

To help you achieve your health goals, the wellness program is offered to enrolled retirees and adult dependents who qualify.

Sharecare is the wellness program vendor. Members enrolled in health benefits will have access to lifestyle counseling, chronic condition management, a weight management program, digital health devices and biometric screenings. A diabetes remission and Diabetes Prevention Program will also be offered to members who qualify.

 Visit the Wellness Program webpage for information about programs and activities.

Notice Regarding Wellness Program
The Partners for Health Wellness Program is voluntary and is available to all local government employees, spouses and adult dependents as well as retirees enrolled in health coverage. Local government participants are not eligible to earn cash incentives. The program is administered according to federal rules permitting employer-sponsored wellness programs that seek to improve employee health or prevent disease, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as applicable, among others. If you choose to participate in the wellness program, you will be asked to complete a voluntary health questionnaire (assessment) that asks a series of questions about your health-related activities and behaviors and whether you have or had certain medical conditions (e.g., cancer, diabetes, or heart disease). You are not required to complete the assessment or other medical examinations. Although you are not required to complete the health questionnaire, only active state and higher education employees and spouses who do so are eligible to receive cash incentives. If you are unable to participate in any of the health-related activities required to earn an incentive, you may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation or an alternative standard. You may request a reasonable accommodation or an alternative standard by contacting the Partners for Health Wellness Program at 888.741.3390. The information from your health questionnaire and the results from your biometric screening will be used to provide you with information to help you understand your current health and potential risks. It may also be used to offer you services through wellness programs such as weight management, Diabetes Prevention Program, and other programs. You also are encouraged to share your results or concerns with your own doctor.

Protections from Disclosure of Medical Information
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your personally identifiable health information (PHI). Although the wellness program and the State of Tennessee may use aggregate information it collects to design a program based on identified health risks in the workplace, the Partners for Health Wellness Program will never disclose any of your personal information either publicly or to your employer, except as necessary to respond to a request from you for a reasonable accommodation needed for you to participate in the wellness program, or as expressly permitted by law. Medical information that personally identifies you that is provided in connection with the wellness program will not be provided to your supervisors or managers and will never be used to make decisions regarding your employment. Your health information will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or otherwise disclosed except to the extent permitted by law and the State of TN’s contract with Sharecare to carry out specific activities related to the wellness program, and you will not be asked or required to waive the confidentiality of your health information as a condition of participating in the wellness program or receiving an incentive, if eligible. Anyone who receives your information for purpose of providing you services as part of the wellness program will abide by the same confidentiality requirements. The only individual(s) who will receive your personally identifiable health information are the wellness vendor (nutritionists, nurses, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, health coaches, and other health care professionals) and their vendor partners (case managers with the medical and behavioral health vendors, diabetes remission program vendor, and the biometric screening vendor) to provide you with services under the wellness program. In addition, all medical information obtained through the wellness program will be maintained separate from your personnel records, information stored electronically will be encrypted and no information you provide as part of the wellness program will be used in making any employment decisions. Appropriate safeguards will be taken to avoid any data breach, and in the event a data breach occurs involving information in connection with the wellness program, you will be notified promptly. You may not be discriminated against in employment because of the medical information you provide as part of participating in the wellness program, nor may you be subjected to retaliation if you choose not to participate. If you have questions or concerns regarding this notice, or about protections against discrimination and retaliation, please contact Partners for Health at partners.wellness@tn.gov.