Loyola University Maryland

Office of Human Resources

Wellness

Take Charge of Your Health and Wellness

The University is committed to supporting the overall mental, physical, and financial wellness of our students and faculty, staff, and administrators. The need for fostering inclusive and comprehensive mental and physical health support is critical to the Jesuit guiding principle of cura personalis and sustaining a culture of care. Supporting students and being part of a community of deep caring is central to the University's mission and part of every community member’s role, including employees. However, in order to effectively cultivate a Community of Care, employees must also recognize their own need for support and resources. Through the employee Wellness Program, opportunities, activities, and tools are available for them. As their overall well-being increases, so does their knowledge and ability to identify and advocate for impactful changes for the whole community.

Behavioral Health and Mental Wellness

The World Health Organization defines mental wellness as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes their abilities, cope with normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to their community.” Wellness at Loyola is for the physical, mental, and financial wellbeing of all faculty, staff, and administrators. The following resources are available to benefit-eligible employees or to all employees. 

EAP with Acentra Health (benefit-eligible employees and their dependents) - Use code "LOYOLA" to get access to free services for emotional support, including access to dedicated clinicians up to 5 sessions and then referrals to participating provider under their medical plan benefits. Access to other tools geared towards helping employees balance their work, family, and personal life. 

Behavioral Health Support Tools (Cigna enrolled employees and their enrolled dependents) 

  • Happify  - A free app for Cigna participants (ages 18+) with science-based games and activities that are designed to help defeat negative thoughts, gain confidence, reduce stress and anxiety, increase mindfulness and emotional well-being and boost health and performance.
  • iPrevail  - A free app that connects customers (ages 13+) with interactive lessons, 1:1 coaching, support communities and online wellness activities to help overcome anxiety, loneliness, depression, and stress and to build resilience and positivity.
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness - Free nationwide support groups to provide support for caregivers and others living with similar experiences.
  • Behavioral Health Resources - Manage your stress level, find disaster resources, explore wellness webcasts, learn about self-care, and much more. Explore Cigna's wellness library for education and resources.

Annual Wellness Incentives (Wellness Steps)

At the beginning of every plan year, all enrolled employees and their enrolled spouse/LDA must complete their Wellness Steps between July 1st and October 31st to qualify for reduced medical plan premiums. The two, easy online Wellness Steps must be completed in the Participants' myCigna.com online account. The deadline to complete both Wellness Steps is October 31st. Failure to complete the Wellness Steps by the deadline will result in a payroll deduction increase beginning in December. Contact the Cigna OneGuide (Cigna’s highest level of customer support) at 1-800-Cigna24 (244-6224) for personalized guidance and support. Employees and their spouse/LDA will need the following information to complete their Wellness Steps:  cholesterol levels, blood pressure numbers, height, weight, and waist measurements, and the date of their annual physical exam.    

Quick Step-by-Step Instructions to complete the Wellness Steps

  • Log on to myCigna.com.
  • Click on the Wellness tab or the Wellness & Incentives link.
  • You will be directed to your wellness dashboard.
  • Go to Incentives Spotlight.
  • Click the blue "Let's Go" link under Wellness Step #1 - Complete your online health assessment. Take a screenshot to confirm completion.
  • Return to your wellness dashboard.
  • Click the blue "Let's Go" link under Wellness Step #2 - Enter the date you completed your annual physical exam. Take a screenshot to confirm completion.
  • There will be a delay before both steps will show as "Completed". Do not be alarmed. Check again after 48 hours. Your screenshots may also be used as confirmation.  

Additional Information:

Payroll Deductions:  Compare the Wellness and No-Wellness Rates for the payroll deduction change in December. 

Online Health Assessment: All information is self-reported and certified by the employee and their spouse/LDA. There may be a delay before the point shows in the portal therefore confirmation should be saved after the assessment is completed. Forms and documents from a health care provider are not acceptable methods for completing this step. Do not submit forms to Cigna. Cigna will not verify receipt of any forms or medical documents.

Annual Physical Date: The date of the employee's and spouse/LDA's annual physical exam must have been completed between 7/1/2022 and 10/31/2023. There may be a 24-hour delay before the point shows in the portal as completed. 

After the Wellness Steps are completed: After successfully completing both Wellness Steps, the employee will earn a total of two points. Their enrolled spouse/LDA will also earn two points after completing their Wellness Steps. Employees and their spouse/LDA are responsible for confirming successful completion of their Wellness Steps and following up with Cigna for missing or incomplete information. 

Deadline: October 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Failure to earn all incentive points will result in a payroll deduction increase beginning with the first paycheck in December 2023.   

Need Help: Wellness Steps contact Cigna OneGuide (Cigna’s highest level of customer support) at 1-800-Cigna24 (244-6224) or LiveChat at myCigna.com. Navigating the website call 1-800-853-2713.

New Hires or Newly Eligible Employees: Employees hired (or become newly eligible) on 7/2/23 and after must complete their Wellness Steps within 120 days from their effective date of enrollment. Their enrolled spouse/LDA must also complete their Wellness Steps during the same period. Non-compliant employees will see an increase in their payroll deductions in the fifth month following the date of eligibility.  Example:  Dan J. was hired on 8/5/23. He enrolled in the HMO plan which starts on 9/1/23. At the start of his enrollment, he is paying the Wellness payroll deduction. To continue paying the Wellness rate, he must complete his Wellness Steps between 9/1/23 and 12/31/23. Failure to complete his steps by 12/31/23 will result in his payroll deduction increasing to the non-wellness rate in January 2024.

* Your personal health information is never disclosed to Loyola nor is it used to determine medical premiums. All information is self-reported and certified by the Participants. Your Health Assessment results are submitted directly to Cigna with only aggregate data reported to human resources. Please note that the wellness requirements are not outcomes based. Participants just have to complete the steps in order to receive the wellness premium rates. If you have questions or need assistance, contact the PSA Benefits Hotline at 1-877-716-6618 or email loyola@psafinancial.com.

The Omada® Wellness Program

The Omada® Program is a personalized program that could help individuals reach their health goals, whether that’s losing weight or improving overall health. The program offers eligible participants a professional health coach for tailored support and guidance, a connected scale to track progress (and keep for good), an online community personalized to your interests, weekly interactive lessons, and insightful health metrics to learn what is (and isn’t) working. The Omada program is for employees and their covered adult dependents who are enrolled in Loyola’s medical plan through Cigna, who are at risk for type 2 diabetes or heart disease, and who are accepted by Omada® into the program. Once accepted, the program is at no additional cost.

Omada Benefits:

  • One-on-one support from a personal health coach.
  • Easy monitoring with smart devices* and tools.
  • Clinical guidance from a diabetes or hypertension specialist.
  • Tools for managing stress.
  • Actionable tips from weekly lessons.
  • Encouragement from an online community.

Check with Omada® to see if you or your adult dependents are eligible. Check Eligibility.

* The Omada® program is administered by Omada Health, Inc., an independent third-party service provider. All Cigna® products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company or its affiliates. The Omada® program is not administered by Cigna. It is administered solely by Omada Health, Inc. which is responsible for the program.

Financial Wellness

Wellness is not just about mental or physical health, it's about improving your overall quality of life. As we all know, money is a crucial part of daily living. For some employees, it maybe challenging to manage money therefore, the need for improving their financial wellness may require practicing better money habits, like setting a budget or goals. At the other spectrum, financial wellness may be needed to plan for retirement or invest in other long-term goals. Positive financial behaviors and effective money habits are themes among the webinars and seminars available to employees on the HR Training Programs, Workshops, and Webinars.

Employee Resources - Financial Webinars 

All Wellness Resources: 

This website provides a summary of the benefits available. The University reserves the right to modify, amend, suspend or terminate any plan at any time, and for any reason without prior notification. You will be notified of any changes to these plans and how they affect your benefits, if at all. The plans described on this website are governed by insurance contracts and plan documents, which are available for examination. We have attempted to make explanations of the plans on this website as accurate as possible. However, should there be a discrepancy between this website and the provisions of the insurance contracts or plan documents, the provisions of the insurance contracts or plan documents will govern. In addition, you should not rely on any oral descriptions of these plans, since the written descriptions in the insurance contracts and plan documents will always govern.