Notice Regarding Healthier U
Healthier U is a voluntary wellness program available to all employees. 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 personal health assessment or “PHA" 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 PHA or any other questions and/or surveys to participate in the wellness program.
Employees who choose to participate in the wellness program can participate in campaigns or health-related activities and may be eligible for incentives or rewards. If you are unable to participate in any of the campaigns or health-related activities you may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation or an alternative standard. You may request a reasonable accommodation or an alternative standard by contacting Healthier U at healthieru@stonybrook.edu.
The information from your PHA will be used to provide you with information to help you understand your current health and potential risks. 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. Although the wellness program and Stony Brook University may use aggregate information it collects to design a program based on identified health risks in the workplace, Healthier U will never disclose any of your personal information either publicly or to the employer, except as necessary to respond to a request from you for a reasonable accommodation needed 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 may 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 to carry out specific activities related to the wellness program and as otherwise set forth in the Terms of Use, which you accept by using the wellness portal, 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.
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 decision. Appropriate precautions will be taken to avoid any data breach, and in the event a data breach occurs involving information you provide in connection with the wellness program, we will notify you immediately.
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 Healthier U at healthieru@stonybrook.edu.