Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) are tools that identify and quantify an individual’s risk of
morbidity or mortality using demographic, medical and lifestyle information. “Health Risk
Assessments (HRAs) and Medicare”, an evaluation report completed by RAND for CMS, reached the
following conclusions.
• Effective Health Risk Assessment (HRA) plan have demonstrated beneficial effects on behavior,
physiological variables and general health status
• Interventions that combine Health Risk Assessment (HRA) feedback with the provision of Health
Plans are most likely to show beneficial effects
• To be effective, Health Risk Assessment (HRA) questionnaires should be accompanied by follow-up
interventions (e.g., information, support and referrals)
High quality Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) offer, a computation for individual risk from the
following most common diseases and risk factors.
• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseaase (COPD)
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Ischemic heart disease
• Major depression
• Stroke
• Overweight/Obesity
• Use of Tobaccos Products
• Mental health
• Immunizations
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) collects and reviews information to predict a member’s
likelihood of experiencing the most common diseases.
Health Risk Assessments (HRAs): Demographic characteristics
A person’s age, gender and ethnicity are indicators of elevated risk for certain diseases. At
minimum, the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should collect information, to the extent allowed by
law, information on the member’s age, gender and ethnicity.
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should include queries addressing the individual’s personal and
family history of diseases or risk factors for common diseases. The Health Risk Assessment (HRA)
must include queries to assess health risks related to the highly personal health characteristics
and behaviors listed below.
• Weight Management
• Nutrition
• Use of Tobaccos Products
• High Blood Pressure
• Cholesterol
• Exercise
• Alcohol consumption
• Traveling by motor vehicle
• Stress Management
• Mental health
Perceived Health Status
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should include queries that assess A person’s self-perceived
health status. The queries should allow an individual to rate their own health status on a
relative scale.
Disclosure of use of Health Risk Assessment (HRA) information
The organization should disclose how the information obtained from the Health Risk Assessment
(HRA) will be used and to whom it’ll be disclosed. The organization may offer the disclosure and
use information within the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) tool or reports or through written
communications.
Ability to save and print Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results
Internet-based Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should give the member the ability to save and print
his or her Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results. For paper-based Health Risk Assessments (HRAs),
the organization should have a mechanism in place for the member to receive a written copy of the
results.
Health Risk Assessment (HRA) Results
Companies should offer a printed or printer-friendly internet-based report for each individual
participant. The report may emphasis on either individual risks for specified diseases or on
Health.
Health Risk Assessment (HRA) computations may emphasis on either individual risks based upon
personal risk factors or on overall risk or health. The report should offer an explanatory
information to help them understand the outcome. Reports should clearly identify behaviors that
can lower risk for each risk factor, and recommend targets for improvement. Reports should
include resources (e.g., community plan, internet-based information and materials) that can help
members change to a healthier lifestyle. At minimum, the organization should give computation for
individual risk from the following most common diseases and risk factors.
• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseaase (COPD)
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Ischemic heart disease
• Major depression
• Stroke
• Overweight/Obesity
• Use of Tobaccos Products
• Mental health
• Immunizations
Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should give internet-based print-friendly results and the
ability for the user to print the results. The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report should include
a profile of individual risk level for personal conditions or diseases according to age, gender,
ethnicity and risk factors that were identified in the questionnaire. The report should clearly
identify behaviors that can lower the risk for each risk factor and recommend targets for
improvements.
Available Resources
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report should also include references to resources that can help
the member understand the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results and assist the member in changing
to a healthier lifestyle.
The resources can include references to relevant internet-based information, materials and
community plan.
