STAYWELL
Frequently Asked Questions
Privacy & Confidentiality
Why does StayWell need my Social Security number?
The only unique identifier that UC maintains for all employees, retirees, and their family members is the Social Security number (SSN). Because the StayWell website is personalized for each individual member, the SSN must be used to identify the individual the first time he/she logs in to the website. Once the individual is identified as eligible to participate, he/she will be able to create his/her own username and password for all future log-ins and will not have to enter the SSN again.
When I take a health assessment, is my privacy guaranteed?Confidentiality between StayWell and the participant is the cornerstone of the program's success. StayWell respects and protects the participant's privacy as an authorized user of StayWell Online. StayWell has been offering programs for 30 years and has never violated the trust or confidentiality of participants.
All the personal identifying and health information that you submit when you register with StayWell and take a health assessment, as well as the results of the assessment, are fully protected by the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and other applicable laws.
Are my individual health assessment results shared with the University?
No. The University of California ("UC") will never receive personally identifiable information about you from StayWell. UC will receive only de-identified information about the program as a whole. That de-identified or summary information will be used by UC for the purposes of reporting, research, and/or wellness program planning.
Are my individual health assessment results shared with my medical plan?Unless you give your permission for StayWell to share your personal and health information and the results of your health assessment with your medical plan, your medical plan will not receive this information from StayWell.
You have the option to decide whether or not to allow StayWell to share your personal information with your medical plan. You can exercise this option by indicating your preference in the last question in the health assessment survey.
If you do not want StayWell to share your personal information with your medical plan, simply indicate this in response to the final health assessment question and your data will not be shared.
If you agree to have your personal information (including the results of your health assessment) shared with your medical plan, the medical plan may reach out to you to make you aware of programs it offers that fit your situation.
StayWell provides a detailed privacy policy statement when you log in to the StayWell online website for the first time. This statement explains the importance of confidentiality and your options for sharing or not sharing health assessment results with your medical plan.
What provisions are in place to ensure that the information I enter online is kept secure?In order to safeguard the privacy of the confidential information transmitted to StayWell by its authorized users, StayWell has implemented the following security measures on this site:
- A confidential subscriber identifier and unique authorized user password limit access to this site and the confidential information of the authorized users. Authorized users should not share their passwords with anyone.
- Whenever information is transmitted to or from StayWell's systems, it is encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, the standard for secure communication over the Internet.
- Authorized users' confidential information is stored on StayWell's servers behind a computer firewall, which is a device that prevents unauthorized persons from accessing data on such servers.
No. The Health Plans are not permitted to use this information to increase your coverage costs, limit your coverage, or restrict you from all the benefits and opportunities you would otherwise have, while you are with UC or even after you leave employment at UC.