Frequently Asked Questions
General
Q: Does our company need to have a contract with WFH to utilize your services?
A: Contracts are not required by Workforce Health, but if you would prefer to have a contract we will work with you to put that together. Our philosophy is to pursue mutually beneficial, long-term relationships built on trust, communication, and quality. If you are not satisfied with our services, you should be able to change providers without worrying about a binding contract. And our goal is to make sure that you never have a reason to consider leaving!
Q: Are appointments required?
A: Appointments are not required for the majority of our services, but for the convenience of your applicant/employee, we do appreciate you calling to make an appointment. This helps us to make sure waiting times are minimized. There are some services where specialized staffing and/or equipment do require appointments, such as essential function screens, executive physicals, OSHA physicals, etc. If unsure, just give us a call.
Q: Do you require our authorization prior to seeing one of our employees?
A: We must have authorization prior to serving any employee or applicant that you send us. While written authorization is preferred, we can also take verbal authorization from a designated employer representative (DER) within your company. Click here for our authorization form and map.
Drug/Alcohol Testing
Q: We are considering implementing a drug and alcohol testing program for our applicants and employees, do you have any recommendations for us?
A: Many employers are implementing drug free workplace programs, and they can be highly effective. However, your first step should be to consult with your attorney. Once you have the input of counsel, you will want to develop a formal written policy that outlines how, when, and why testing will be performed. In addition to your attorney, you can also utilize an on-line tool called the “Drug-Free Workplace Policy Builder,” found at the Department of Labor’s website: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/asp/drugfree/drugs/report.asp. The policy builder is a comprehensive tool that can help you put together a drug-free workplace policy quickly and easily. You will also need to decide what kind of testing you want performed. There are a variety of panels and protocols, some of which are federally mandated. Additionally, Workforce Health provides a program for supervisors, “Recognizing Drug Abuse & Alcohol Misuse: Supervisor Training for Reasonable Suspicion/Reasonable Cause Testing.” For more information or to set up a drug and alcohol testing protocol with Workforce Health, please call Daryle Keller at (219) 405-4294, or email.
Q:How are our results reported?
A: All drug screen results that we MRO can be reported to you electronically if you are set up with web or autofax reporting. For web-based reporting, you will receive an email indicating that you have a result. You will then log in to www.myescreen.com to retrieve your results. For autofax reporting, you must have a secure fax. Companies who request a 5-panel Non-DOT can receive negative results in as early as 15 minutes post-collection.
Workers’ Compensation
Q: Do I have a right to tell my employee where to get treated for a work-related injury or can they insist on going to their family doctor?
A: Indiana is an “employer directed state,” which means that the employer can decide where an employee receives care for a suspected work related injury. Allowing your employee to receive care wherever they want may result in higher costs, inappropriate work restrictions, and more lost time from work. While the quality of care will probably not vary between a doctors office, an occupational health clinic, and an ER, a clinic that specializes in the treatment of work-related injuries is usually more adept at navigating the workers comp system and communicating with the employer regarding return to work issues that usually accompany employees who are injured at work.
Q: It is very important that we receive timely updates on our employee’s work status after they are treated for an injury. How does Workforce Health handle this?
A: At the completion of the visit, your employee will be given two copies of our computer-generated Work Status Summary (WSR) report; one for the patient and one for the supervisor. The physician will also email the WSR to you. This report will come as an attached PDF and you will need a password to open the report. You can then print, save or forward the WSR as needed.
Q: If we use WFH, what do we do when we have an injury when you are closed?
A: If the injury is not serious and the employee agrees that treatment can be delayed until the next business day, you can still send your injured employee to your nearest Workforce Health clinic. For injuries that cannot wait, depending on your location, your best bet is to send your employee to the nearest emergency room. The Emergency Department at IU Health La Porte Hospital has access to all of our company protocols, and the Lab has trained staff to perform drug and alcohol testing for you.
Q: What kind of services do you provide related to the use of respirators at the workplace?
A: Our medical providers can review your employee’s OSHA Respiratory Questionnaire to medically certify your employees to wear a respirator, we can conduct qualitative respirator fit testing, and if necessary, provide spirometry testing.
Wellness
Q: What is a Health Risk Assessment (HRA)?
A: A health risk assessment (HRA) is a health questionnaire, used to provide individuals with an evaluation of their health risks and quality of life. An HRA typically incorporates three key elements — an extended questionnaire, a risk calculation or score, and a personal report.
Q: Will you share my employees HRA or health screening results with the insurance carrier or me?
A: The HRA is completed on a secure internet site and the information goes directly to our protected server. Once completed, a confidential personal report will be immediately available for the employee to view or print.
PLEASE NOTE: PERSONAL HEALH DATA IS PROTECTED UNDER FEDERAL LAW (HIPAA). WE WILL NOT SHARE YOUR EMPLOYEE’S INFORMATION WITH ANYONE WITHOUT THEIR WRITTEN CONSENT. THEREFORE, NO EMPLOYER, INSURANCE COMPANY OR ANYONE ELSE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
Q: How long does the HRA take to complete?
A: About 20 minutes.
Q: Is there a need to fast for the health screening?
A: If the health screening includes blood testing, participants are asked to fast for 10-12 hours for accurate results. If the participant is on medication or has diabetes, they are encouraged to ask their physician for guidance prior to fasting. To fast, a participant may not eat or drink anything other than plain water or black coffee or tea (no cream, sugar or sweetener). Please be aware that drinking black coffee or tea may elevate blood pressure.
Q: When and how will participants receive their results?
A: Participants will receive their results in a confidential envelope in the mail within 2-3 weeks after their screening appointment. If the screening includes a group or individual follow-up session, participants will receive their results when they come to the session.
Q: As an employer, do we get a group report?
A: You will receive an aggregate group report only if at least 50 people complete the HRA. You may also receive a productivity and economic benefits report if you are able to provide an average hourly wage for your population and average medical claims for the last year.
Q: What if someone forgets his or her username or password?
A: They can contact the administrator at (219) 874-3750 x218 for their username and to have their password reset.
Q: How do I start a wellness program at my work site?
A: Please contact Daryle Keller, our business development representative at (219) 405-4294 to schedule a meeting with our wellness team.
Q: What is the Indiana Certified Wellness Tax Credit Program and how do I qualify?
A: This program was designed specifically for small employers of 2-100 FTEs in Indiana that seek to improve Indiana’s health status by providing wellness programs for their employees. With a certified wellness program, an employer is entitled to a credit of 50 percent of the costs incurred for providing a qualified wellness program.
You must apply for this program to become certified and have a wellness program with three specific criteria:
• Employee appropriate weight loss
• Smoking cessation
• Pursuit of preventive health care services
Workforce Wellness can model a program to fit these
criteria and assist you in the application process. For more information on this program, please visit click here.
Q: What wellness services do you offer?
A: Please click on this link to see our list of services.
To obtain more information regarding the comprehensive services offered by Workforce Health, please call Daryle Keller, Business Development Rep., at (219) 405-4294, or email; or Brian McKee, Marketing Rep., at (219) 851-3827 or email.
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