Prescription for Wellness for UPMC Health Plan Members

Prescription for Wellness: A free member resource for getting and staying healthy

Prescription for Wellness offers customized help with lifestyle and condition management, as well as shared decision support services. These services are personalized to help you meet your goals. And the best part—it’s free for all UPMC Health Plan members!

You will work with our Prescription for Wellness team. Our health coaches can help if your goals include healthy lifestyle changes. Our care managers can teach you how to manage your condition. They can also help you understand your overall health care needs. You choose how you work with us!

Members of the team hold professional degrees and licenses, and they work as:

• Registered nurses.
• Dietitians.
• Diabetes educators.
• Counselors.
• Social workers.

Your health coach or care manager will:

• Use proven techniques to help you get results.
• Direct you to community and online resources.
• Talk to you as much as you want.
• Help you improve your existing care or weight management and fitness efforts.

Getting started with Prescription for Wellness

It’s easy for you to connect with the Prescription for Wellness team.

To get started, choose one of the following options:

• For a virtual visit on UPMC AnywhereCare, log in or register for a UPMC AnywhereCare account. Once you are logged in, select the Health Navigation tile. If a navigator is available, you can choose Visit Now. If a navigator is not available, you can schedule a visit.
• To start by phone, call 1-844-822-3367. TTY users should call 711. Help is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Ask your health care provider to set you up with a Prescription for Wellness.
• To use an app, download RxWell* from the App Store or Google Play™.

Personal Health Review: A personal health review is the important first step in many of our programs, including all lifestyle management programs. This session lasts for about 20 minutes, and it lays the foundation for your personal plan, your goals, as well as what you need to succeed.

What is Lifestyle Management?

Lifestyle management means working with experts to start making healthy choices.

You will learn healthy behaviors that can lower your risk of disease and improve your quality of life. Our health coaches are available for individual or group appointments. Below are common condition management topics:

• Weight management: You will learn how to make healthier food choices while enjoying tasty meals. Coaches will also teach you how to add activity to your days to help you reach your weight goal.
• Physical activity: You’ll learn how making small lifestyle changes can help you build a foundation for better fitness and avoid many chronic conditions.
• Tobacco cessation: Quitting tobacco is one of the healthiest changes you can make. A coach can tell you about counseling, treatment options, and support that can help you live tobacco-free.
• Stress management: Many chronic diseases and primary care visits are due to stress. A coach can teach you how to better manage your stress and help you to become more resilient.
• Nutrition basics: With this program, you’ll learn how to make healthy, tasty food choices. You will also learn how important good nutrition is for your health.
• Diabetes prevention: Our health coaches will work to help you avoid developing diabetes. They will also help you make a plan to reach a healthy weight, eat better, and be more active.  
• Healthy families: Lifestyle changes are easier to make if everyone in your family works together. You can work with a coach on a plan to address your family’s health and wellness issues.

Lifestyle management is available to people of all ages. You can get help by phone, online, or through the RxWell app.

What is Condition Management?

Condition management is meant to help you better understand or manage your condition. A care manager will help you understand your care options. They will also prepare you to talk to your doctor about your condition. If you have type 2 diabetes, asthma, or other conditions, a care manager can help you.

Below are common condition management topics:

• Diabetes: Our experts will talk with you about the importance of diet and exercise and how both can help lower your risk of heart, kidney, and nerve damage. They can also assist you with how to better monitor your vital signs. This can help you keep your blood pressure or other issues in check.
• Cardiovascular health: You can work with an expert on controlling your blood pressure and lowering levels of fatty buildup in your arteries. You’ll also learn about eating a heart-healthy diet, managing your stress, and getting regular exercise to avoid heart disease.
• Respiratory health: An expert can connect you with an expert in healthy lungs and teach you about your medicines. They can also talk with you about avoiding environmental irritants, using oxygen, and quitting smoking.
• Behavioral health: You can choose a program to help you manage your anxiety, depression, stress, grief, or substance use. You can also learn about programs or resources in your area.
• Chronic pain: An expert can talk to you about physical therapy, continuous movement, and other treatments. These treatments may be better long-term solutions than injections and surgery.

Additional care management programs include:

Baby Steps, UPMC Health Plan’s maternity program: You can get support and useful information from registered nurses who focus on pregnancy and childbirth.

These nurses are also certified in newborn nursing and breastfeeding education. Our coaches are available before, during, and after pregnancy, and they are supported by licensed social workers. Learn more about Maternity Health Coaching

Pediatric care management: Registered nurses and social workers can help you and your child in a number of ways.

• They can help you find specialists, schedule visits, and prepare questions before doctor appointments.
• They can help coordinate local resources, in-home nursing, home health aide, or daycare for your child.
• They can help you find behavioral health services. They can also answer questions about different conditions, medicines, and resources.

Learn more about pediatric preventive services.

Case management: We can help you get the services you need and understand your care plan. We can also provide caregiver support. We will help connect you with local programs and resources.

Condition management is available in a number of ways (see Getting Started section):

• UPMC AnywhereCare
• Phone
• RxWell app (diabetes)

What is Shared Decision Making?

Shared decision making is working with your health care provider to decide which treatment options are right for you. It can be done on the phone or virtually.

Only you can answer the important questions below.

• What are your health goals?
• What limitations do you have because of your health condition?
• What treatment will give you the quality of life you want?
• What side effects and risks are you willing to accept?
• How will the treatment you are considering affect you in the long term?
• What lifestyle changes might improve your health? Changes might involve being more physically active or eating healthier.
• Shared decision making is especially important when it comes to:
• Optional surgeries such as hip, knee, or bariatric surgery.
• Condition or pain management.
  Cancer treatment.

*RxWell is available to UPMC Health Plan members who are 16 years of age or older.