Taking the Personal Health Assessment is quick, easy, and free—and can help you improve your health.

If you had to rate your health on a scale of one to 100, what score would you give yourself? And how would you know if you were judging yourself too harshly—or inflating your grade?

Now, there's an easy—and objective—way to get a snapshot of your health. All Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) members can take a Personal Health Assessment (PHA) on BCBSRI.com at no cost. In only 10 minutes, you'll get a personalized report that rates your health from one to 100, summarizes your health status and risk factors, and provides resources to help you improve your health.

Here are seven reasons to take the PHA today
1. It paints a whole-body portrait. The PHA includes questions about all aspects of your physical health, but it also addresses mental health and safety. You'll be asked questions on the following topics:

• Physical activity and nutrition, including how much you exercise and your intake of fruits and vegetables
• Life satisfaction, which touches on issues such as depression, social support, and other factors that affect your mental well-being
• Medical risks, such as body mass index, blood pressure, and diseases and conditions
• Tobacco and alcohol use, which includes risks such as drinking and driving and secondhand smoke
• Mindset, which focuses on your attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of your health and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle
• Automobile safety, which asks about seatbelt use, speeding, and motorcycle riding
• Environment, including factors that can make it difficult for you to adopt healthier habits and activities
• Preventive screenings and tests, which focuses on tests recommended for your age and gender

2. You can get started right away. There's nothing you need to do to begin, except register on BCBSRI.com. (See "How to Take the PHA" at right.) Helpful tip: You'll get a more complete picture of your health if you know important health numbers such as your HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar (glucose).

3. The results will help you make the most of the resources offered by your health plan. After taking the PHA, you'll receive a comprehensive, personalized report that shows your results, as well as action steps you can take for better health. You'll also receive recommendations about resources available through BCBSRI that can help you improve your health. These may include:

• Programs that track your physical activity, weight, or the number of calories you consume
• Videos on nutrition, stress, quitting smoking, and other health topics
• Care coordination by BCBSRI healthcare professionals who can help you manage chronic conditions or other health issues*

* If your PHA indicates that you may benefit from care coordination, you may be contacted by a BCBSRI healthcare professional about enrolling in the program.

4. It's quick and easy to complete. If you've taken the PHA in the past, you'll notice that this version is shorter and more streamlined—but still provides an accurate picture of your health. Taking 10 minutes to complete the PHA is well worth the time, given the amount of information you'll receive about your health.

5. You can track improvements in your health. You can take the PHA every year to see if your score—and your health—have changed. And since the PHA's detailed report explains how you fared in each category, you can see if your health improved in specific areas, such as life satisfaction or medical risks.

6. You can share the report with your doctor. At your next doctor's visit, bring the results of your PHA so you can discuss any areas of your health that need improvement or any tests that your report indicates you may have missed.

7. The information you provide is confidential. The results of your PHA will not be shared with your employer and will not affect your health insurance in any way.