Get paid to get healthy

Your health could help your wallet, too. Tune in to this episode of ERS Money Talks to learn how the Buena Vida program can help you build healthier habits while earning rewards that can put money back in your pocket. We’ll break down how the program works, what you can earn and how taking advantage of your benefits can help you save. Because feeling good is great—but getting rewarded for it? Even better.

Buena Vida benefits you 

Earn up to 100 Buena Vida Bucks 

Join Buena Vida today!

Transcript

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Cecily Brea: Engaging in social media can make you feel like you need to be doing everything perfectly when it comes to setting health goals. Buena Vida meets you where you are, and when you are a very busy professional and you have a family and you have hobbies, sometimes it's all you can do to just squeeze in 10 minutes of activity. And so Buena Vida can help you with that.

Crystal Olvera: Welcome to the ERS Money Talks podcast. Your source for tips, insights and expert advice on making the most of your State of Texas benefits. That includes building your retirement savings, finding ways to save money with your insurance. And on this episode, how healthy habits can lead to a healthier wallet, too. I'm Crystal.

Erika Perez: And I'm Erika, and today we're talking about living the good life or La Buena Vida. If you're a state employee and haven't heard of Buena Vida, where have you been? Buena Vida is a platform created by ERS and powered by WebMD. It brings together wellness tools and resources in one convenient place to help you live your best life. It also may help you save some dinero, too.

Crystal: Which is why today we've invited Cecily Brea, the ERS coordinator for statewide well-being initiatives. Cecily has previously run wellness initiatives for the City of Austin and the Texas Department of State Health Services, but she also has experience as a personal trainer and health educator.

Cecily: Thank you so much for having us.

Crystal: Holly Cuozzo, Buena Vida program manager with WebMD, is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, CrossFit coach, USA Weightlifting coach and strength coach. So welcome, Holly.

Holly Cuozzo: Thank you.

Crystal: Welcome, ladies. We're so glad to have you all here. Those are some amazing resumes. I want to ask about yourselves. I want to know how you guys got into wellness. Can each of you tell me a little bit about yourselves?

Holly: I was not raised in a particularly fit or health-conscious family, but I always played sports. I grew up in Maryland, so the weather was a little bit less oppressive in the summer, if you will. I played a lot of sports over the summer, kept busy at camp and stuff like that. So I've always been active. And then when I went to college, I joined the club rugby team, and I am not large. So I was like, this will be so much easier if I have more muscle, if I have more endurance. And so I started doing fitness with those goals in mind. And then it just sort of snowballed into me wanting to be as muscular as I possibly can. And then that lent itself to getting into employee wellness because I want to make wellness something that anybody can attain. Because again, that wasn't something that was part of my background. And I always thought it was so much easier for other people who were always taught that and things like that. And so just making it more accessible and meeting people where they're at, quite literally most of the time, in my opinion, is the way to do that. So I find it very rewarding and stoked to be here.

Cecily: I have a very similar upbringing to Holly. I was a high school and collegiate athlete, so I had to stay in shape for those activities, obviously. But I really started to enjoy program design. And so I got into personal training, and I liked working one-on-one, but I started to notice that certain clients had more success based on having access to healthy foods, having more time to make it into the gym, having a job that doesn't wreck their nervous system. And so I started to ask more questions about how communities can impact our health. And my belief that has driven everything I've done over the last 20 years is that everyone should have access to the tools and resources they need to live a healthy life. And so that led me to work at entities like DSHS. I was a coordinator of the Texas Healthy Communities Program, and I supported local health departments in developing policy systems and environments to help their citizens live healthier lives. And everything I've done has been with the sole purpose of supporting my community, whether that community be the employees I support or local health departments. But again, that driving motivation is everyone should have access to the things that they need to live a healthy life.

[Transition music]

Crystal: So let's get started with employee wellness and why it's so important. How do programs like Buena Vida help employees?

Cecily: Most employees spend a huge portion of their waking hours at work, unfortunately. So the workplace is one of the most powerful places to support someone's health. When people feel less overwhelmed, they show up with better focus and steadier energy all day, and they show up better not just at work, but for their loved ones and for themselves.

So an employee signs up for Buena Vida. They're gaining a sort of wellness partner. So a team of support. And Buena Vida, again, is not just an app or a website. Members can expect personalized resources, educational content, health assessments, wellness challenges and tools that help them set realistic goals and build healthy habits over time. Whether someone is just getting started or already has a wellness routine, Buena Vida meets them where they are and provides practical support every step of the way.

Crystal: I like the idea of meeting people where they're at. Someone who's not very physical. I mean, there are a couple of things I like to do, like hike and maybe rollerblade, but that's about it. I don't play team sports. So if I know that you're going to meet me where I'm at, which is not in shape, not a power lifter or anything, I'm hoping Buena Vida does that for employees as well, because a lot of us out here are beginners.

Cecily: The goal isn't perfection. It's helping people make small, sustainable changes that improve their health and well-being for the long term.

Crystal: So when people think of health, they really do think about physical health. But Buena Vida also focuses on mental health, financial health. And I did look at the WebMD health assessments, and 37% of members said financial stress was affecting their health, their job, relationships, and a total of 51% of members were interested in learning ways to improve their financial health. So what kind of programs do you guys offer? How can someone use Buena Vida who's maybe struggling with mental health or financial stress?

Cecily: Buena Vida is built on the idea that well-being is about much more than physical health, as you said. So there are three pillars that we like to focus on. Again, that's mental well-being, physical well-being and then also financial well-being. And as you mentioned, financial wellness is closely connected to how we feel overall. So if you're dealing with any sort of financial stress, you might lose sleep that might impact your health outcomes. It might make your blood pressure go up. And so the great thing is, again, you can find health content guides that can help you with mindfulness or stress reduction. You can also link to or connect to the Money Matters podcast landing page, where you can listen to previous episodes. You can also link to your Texas Saver account, where you can find resources for developing a budget, retirement savings or retirement planning.

[Transition music]

Erika: For anyone who's new to the program, hasn't heard about it, or we even have some members. Buena Vida, good life. What's what? How do you join? How exclusive is this? Do you need a code? Tell me.

Holly: Well, there is a code. It is a little bit exclusive, but the majority of our state employees at our agencies and our higher ed institutions, as well as their covered dependents, are eligible to join as long as they're on the HealthSelect of Texas or Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas plan, as well as their covered dependents.

Crystal: That also includes Consumer Directed HealthSelect. So if you're in HealthSelect of Texas or Consumer Directed HealthSelect, you are eligible for this plan and your dependents.

Holly: And enrolling is super easy. You can download the app and use the connection code Buena Vida, all lowercase, no spaces, no funny business. Just one big word. Or you can also join on the website if you are app-averse, which I understand. And regardless of how you choose to do it, then you can access all the functionalities of the platform, and the platform will give you access to all of the things that Cecily mentioned.

So access to those programs, more information about things that you might want to know, things that might help you boost your wellness, and things that ultimately, in the long run, will help you not only live your most buena vida, but also will help you save a little bit of money and just live an overall more, well, life.

Erika: Do members receive an email congruently once they get their Blue Cross Blue Shield or something like that? Or is it something that we seek as members to sign up for Buena Vida? I can't remember.

Holly: So we do send emails occasionally to all eligible participants, which would include the folks that are not yet registered. But you're not going to get anything automatic right when your benefits kick in. So some of it is seeking it out for yourself.

Erika: And so when you say sustainable changes, I happen to be someone who likes a good competition. And I've heard word on the street is there are challenges on Buena Vida that I can partake in.

Holly: Yes. There are challenges. So there's a variety of ways that you can engage in something a little bit more on the competitive side to push yourself. The number one way is that we have statewide challenges available to anybody who can access the platform. So it's folks who are insured because they're an employee, it's their dependents over the age of 18, and they can participate in any of the challenges that we run throughout the year. So we do try to change things up.

This past year we did something called Five to Thrive, which was logging your fruit and veggie intake with the goal of getting at least five servings per day. More is great. Less was allowed. And then we are just about to wrap up a sleep challenge where you were logging “yes” or “no.” Did you get good quality sleep? So it's a variety of things that you're logging. And every year we try to do an activity challenge. This year we're focusing on Texas Parks and Wildlife. So we are virtually exploring the great State of Texas. And when you log 50,000 steps, you get a video from a park ranger telling you about the park, exploring it a little bit more, some exclusive content, and you also get entered into a prize drawing for some state parks swag or a $70 State Parks annual pass. It is my personal favorite dream.

Erika: And that's really cool because that's hard to come by, right? I feel like sometimes parks get booked too early.

Crystal: Yeah. Getting into a state park can be difficult during the summer, especially.

Erika: That kind of speaks on the connection building of it all. So it's not just about promoting physical fitness, health, but there's also other ways to connect and engage with each other, right?

Holly: There are so many. So the first one that I want to talk about is about communities groups. So it's kind of like another small-scale version of social media. We have different groups for being active, being social, eating well, maintaining a healthy weight, and kind of any health goal that you can think of. We have a group for it, and there's also a general one if you can't think of it. And so with all of those, we try to post content for educational things that are coming out, initiatives that we have across the state, whether it's a webinar or a challenge such as “Trek through Texas,” will post so much stuff about that in communities. So you can always find out what's going on.

And we also have things that you can take on any time. So there are daily habits trackers, and they get ridiculously specific, like there is “maternal health, second trimester.” So it gets very, very niche. And you can always find a daily habits tracker for that. It will help to hold you accountable and give you a little bit more direction in reaching your health goals.

And there are also Side Quests, which those you can log your own goal, and you can also do a duel against someone else. And I know Cecily has had some experiences dueling against some people.

Crystal: What kind of duelling?

Cecily: Yes. So I made a mistake. When I first started, I think I was maybe two weeks into my position, and unfortunately, I had surgery a couple weeks before I started. So I was using a knee scooter, and I was in a very laborious boot. And I challenged my coworker Jonathan to a duel. And I didn't know that Jonathan played pickleball. So our challenge was two weeks, and it was a movement-based challenge. And he really gave me a run for my money. I was riding around that knee scooter trying to get my heart rate up, just trying to get some cardio so I can keep up. But it was great motivation. It really helped me get moving again. And it was fun.

Crystal: That's great. I'm glad that the Buena Vida app has helped even being injured. It's gotten you up and going. I know a lot of people get injured or ill, and they kind of just sit at home. And I know being active can be better for your mental health as well. So it's really cool to see that there are groups that bring people together where they can meet other people who are also state employees.

Cecily: And it helped me get to know my coworker as well.

[Transition music]

Erika: My first Stanley, which I saved a lot of money on by not using real money on, came from Buena Vida. Could you talk a little bit about earning rewards through Buena Vida and how that can turn into you saving money by acquiring items at really no cost?

Holly: Yeah, that is the best part, I like to think. So participants are eligible to earn up to 100 bucks per year, which is valued at $99. So it is like Monopoly money that you spend in our cute little store online. I really try to work with the team to make sure that we have some really a mix of fun things, as well as things that are actually valuable that people are going to want. So some of the heavy hitters, I like to say, are you can get Calm or Headspace subscriptions, as well as some other meditation apps, and those can be quite expensive. So it's really nice to be able to get that for free. And you can subscribe for different amounts of time while you're exploring which one is right for you.

I also always tell people about the air fryer and the Fitbit, because those are things that you're like, what do you mean I can get that for free? Yeah. And then we've also added in some more expensive items that you'll have to pay the difference with a credit card with. So you'll get that $99 and then you can pay the difference if it's like $125 or something like that. So there is a fancier Fitbit, if that's your vibe, as well as some other little goodies in there. But yeah, so we're trying to use it to not only help people save money and give people things to incentivize them to complete these preventive health things and things of that nature.

But we're also trying to give people things that they would be spending their money on anyways. So you can get rewarded for doing a preventive checkup. So that includes an annual exam, a Catapult checkup, a colorectal cancer screening, a breast cancer screening or a Well Woman exam. So any of those guys will count.

There's also the health assessment, which takes eight to 10 minutes. It is very much doable. And even if you don't know all of your numbers and values from the doctor, you can simply click, “I don't know.” So it's just meant to be a level setting, a way for you to get a sense of where you're at from a health perspective.

There is the Trek through Texas Challenge, which I mentioned earlier. And that's our activity challenge that is sort of co-led by Parks and Wildlife, and they provide a lot of great content for that. There are other challenges throughout the year, such as the sleep challenge and the food challenge and all of that.

There are Side Quests, which Cecily has mentioned are very successful at getting you moving, no matter your circumstances, and you can do those up to two times for rewards, and you could do them more, but just for the love of the game at that point. And then you also get points just for downloading the app. So if you download that bad boy, you get some Buena Vida bucks right then and there.

Crystal: I just wanted to highlight, this is really saving you money with Buena Vida bucks, right? You get to use those rewards for very cool prizes. But it's really the annual preventative things that it's making you do, and those kinds of things can save you money in the long run, right? A lot of people are like, I don't want to go to the doctor because I'm just going to be told bad news. But it's better to find out early if you can prevent something. And I mean, that alone saves you probably thousands of dollars, you know?

Cecily: Prevention is key, and that's a big part of the Buena Vida program. So as Holly mentioned, you can get incentives for getting your completing your preventive screenings, but the purpose of that is so that you can develop that relationship with the health care provider, but also identify any issues you're having early because it's much easier to prevent than it is to manage. And it's much, much costlier to manage a chronic condition. And so that's a big reason we incentivize engaging in preventive activities.

Crystal: So ERS also offers virtual wellness sessions by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. And those sessions suggest topics like mindfulness, nutrition, fitness and more. And if you're a state employee, we do encourage you to check those out. We have them listed on the ERS events calendar. I know there's a Tune-In Tuesday. And that's meditation. Some of these were only 15 minutes, right?

Cecily: Yeah. That's the great part is you don't have to take a ton of time out of your day. And you can usually do it from your phone. Or if you're at a desk, you can also just do it from your laptop. But Holly co-leads a class, which is the Mindfulness Mondays. And then also we have Tune-In Tuesday, which is also focused on meditation. We have Chair Fit also with the HealthSelect team. So usually it is a very vigorous activity. I did it pretty recently, and we did chair boxing, which was fantastic. But there's just tons of options as far as fitness classes that you can do. We also have Zumba, so there's something for everyone. And we've also recently added yoga.

[Transition music]

Erika: So it's been really fun getting to know y'all and learning about this program and how our members can save money and also promote health. Is there a question you wish I'd asked?

Holly: One question that I do get a lot when I am out and about in the state of Texas, meeting people, is does it cost anything to enroll? And the answer is no. It costs zero dollars to you to enroll. So you only have something to gain.

Cecily: I would say, just as a reminder, that engaging in social media can make you feel like you need to be doing everything perfectly when it comes to setting health goals. Buena Vida meets you where you are, and when you are a very busy professional and you have a family and you have hobbies, sometimes it's all you can do to just squeeze in 10 minutes of activity. And so Buena Vida can help you with that by engaging in those daily habits. You can do things like a 5-minute walk, you can do a 5-minute meditation, which is something I do all the time just to keep my nervous system in a good place. You can gain 30 more minutes of sleep, but these are all habits that are very realistic that we could all be doing that really pay off in the end as long as we're doing them consistently.

Crystal: That is great advice, and yeah, it motivates me too just because, again, I'm not an active person. And if it's just five minutes of even meditation that can help, I'm all for that.

Crystal: Cecily, Holly, thank you so much for filling us in on all of these fantastic tools that Buena Vida has to offer us. You can join Buena Vida today by visiting BuenaVidaERS.com.

Erika: For the latest wellness news, including upcoming Buena Vida challenges, wellness updates and more. Sign up to receive the Buena Vida newsletter.

Crystal: And of course, for the latest money-saving tips and financial news, subscribe to

Money MattERS. That's our companion newsletter. You can find the links to subscribe to both of those bulletins in the episode description.

Erika: And don't forget to follow us on social media. We have a Facebook page, a YouTube channel and just launched the official ERS Instagram. Follow us at @ERSofTexas. I am keeping track. I do see you. Let us know if you have an idea for an episode, because we'd love to hear your thoughts

Crystal: on Money Talks.