Maine Educator December 2016

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Earn $50 in 10 Minutes (No Joke)

You know the saying—there is no such thing as a free lunch. Well, in this case there kind of is. Through the benefits of your membership insurance, MEABT, you can earn money for the things you’re already doing. Do you walk? Do you ever check your smartphone to see how many steps you’ve taken during the day? Both of those things, and many more, can earn you money. Through the wellness program, known as Onlife and available through MEABT, you can earn up to $250 per year in pre-paid gift cards just for being healthy or working toward a healthier lifestyle. The programs allow you to earn points for your wellness efforts, and for every point you earn, you earn $1. Once you earn 50 points, you can cash those in for a pre-paid gift card valid at over 100 retailers nationwide. But wait… there’s more (no, there’s no Shamwow coming your way) but you may also be able to participate in things like free yoga or cooking classes. So how? CJ Mauger (Quamphegan EA) the Marshwood High School Library Media Specialist, has become a bit of an expert in maximizing the benefits of the Onlife program, earning $250 in pre-paid gift cards and organizing free exercise classes for her co-workers.

“We received a lot of feedback from district employees stating that they felt the program had motivated them to practice healthier options and activities more consistently. People drank more water during the first HealthTrails Challenge. Several staff members discovered they had blood pressure issues during the Take 5 Blood Pressure Challenge and sought medical help and medication. One person credited that part of the program with possibly saving the life of a fellow staff member,” said Mauger. Mauger is an MEABT wellness ambassador for her district, earning $500 to promote health and wellness in the district. As a wellness ambassador, Mauger committed to a few small tasks including, conducting

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Maine Educator • December 2016

two challenges—things like the Take 5 Blood Pressure Challenge where people took their blood pressure to assess their health. With the money earned for her district, Mauger funded two yoga classes for her coworkers to participate, free of charge. “I, for one, felt that participating in Onlife and the challenges continually called to mind that healthy options were a choice and that, with others on board and doing the same thing, that it paid—in more ways than one—to make healthy choices with diet, activity, and practice. At least one person who attended one of the yoga classes was motivated to sign up for more classes offered locally,” said Mauger. So, back to the title of the article—Earn $50 in 10 Minutes. It’s really true. Just sign up for Onlife at onlifehealth.com, or download the app AlwaysOn. Once you have an account take the health assessment; it takes about ten minutes. For completing the assessment you’ll earn 40 points. Next, sync a wearable device or fitness mobile app with the Onlife program and you’ll earn another 25 points. Now you have 65 points—and you can redeem 50 immediately for your $50 gift card. It’s really that simple. You’re on your way to earning more points and living a healthier lifestyle, which will help reduce your overall health care costs in the long run.

By the Numbers in RSU 35— Proof the Program Works Out of 375 total employees in RSU 35, 256 had points earned 199 of them had 40 points or more 114 staff members reached 150 points, which was the point goal 98 of RSU 35’s district employees reached 250 points—point goal for the maximum reward of gift cards $600 District Wellness incentive received due to participation Interested in becoming a MEABT Wellness Ambassador? Contact the MEABT at 207-622-4418 x2510.


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