Our health risk assessments benefit aims to identify Fedhealth members who are at risk of developing lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. Once identified, we either help them prevent the onset of these conditions by changing their lifestyles – or we help them manage their disease through practical advice and steps.

 

Health Risk Assessments are available to all Fedhealth members and entail:

 

1. Wellness screening

Wellness screenings can be done by nurses at wellness days, nurses at pharmacy clinics or by a registered Biokinetics Association of South Africa (BASA) biokineticist. They include blood pressure, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), random glucose and random cholesterol (finger prick) tests.

2. Physical screening

Members may visit any BASA biokineticist to have their physical screening done. The screening includes resting heart rate, body fat percentage, peak expiratory flow rate, flexibility and fitness measurements. Specific risk factors for metabolic syndrome, Type-2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are identified through the screening, and personalised activity-related interventions are recommended which will also improve the member’s mental wellbeing.

The way forward

Once these steps have been completed, members receive a report with feedback on their overall health and wellbeing. The member will find out what their ‘heart age’ is – an easily understood indicator of their overall health. Members may be identified as part of the High Risk or Emerging Risk groups, and flagged as being at risk of developing a chronic lifestyle disease.

Should they agree to participate in disease management programmes, they may receive additional wellness intervention benefits. These interventions will be done by a BASA biokineticist, who will refer the member to dieticians, psychologists and general practitioners where applicable (with responsible promotion of Scheme benefits). With health risk assessments, Fedhealth is set on helping members lead more fulfilling lives by making important lifestyle changes.

To download a PDF version of this benefit, click here