Forced participation in an employee wellness program is flat-out wrong. Educating employees on heath awareness and encouraging a healthier lifestyle is a great benefit. Foisting it upon someone is not.
Let employees make their own choice, and respect their privacy. Re-price health plan participation so that voluntary wellness program participants receive a discount and non-participants are surcharged, but not prohibitively so.
Mostly agree with this position, except for the discounting/surcharging of an employee’s health insurance premium contribution based upon wellness program participation. Many employees are already taking part in, at their own initiative, the activities prescribed by the employer wellness program. And getting the same lab tests done (and likely more thoroughly) through their personal physician’s office. Why punish them, especially when they are likely better “risks”? Insurance, remember, is designed to spread the risk over multiple exposures/participants.
Actually I feel much less intruded upon by offering discounts or surcharges based on participation or non-participation in in wellness program than being allowed or not allowed in a plan based on participation. And I appreciate the discount for participating and proving my better lifestyle than my fellow employee who does not. Should I not pay less for health insurance by taking better care of myself and proving it than the employee who doesn’t?
Dave, recognizing we are talking about Group & Wellness programs, isn’t it interesting that on the Individual side, Obamacare takes all the obese, poor health applicants who have never heard of wellness programs and puts them in with the healthy with no surcharges? No wonder the costs keep escalating in the health market. Pretty much bankrupted many of the co-ops because you can’t collect enough rate to pay all the claims. Those people should have remained in the Pools and the government could have subsidized the Pools a lot cheaper than ruining the whole individual market.
“Insurance, remember, is designed to spread the risk over multiple exposures/participants.”
True, just as insurance can be priced to differentiate these multiple exposures based on predictive variables, which in this case could include participation in a company wellness program.
The content of a company wellness program is controlled by the company and the results are verifiable on an aggregate basis without any individual employee’s personal information needing to be seen by the company, alleviating privacy concerns. The same cannot be said for similar wellness activities undertaken by employees that do not participate in the company wellness program.
A surcharge for non-participation isn’t “punishment”, it’s the cost of not participating in the company wellness program. This to me is a fair exchange for the employer not mandating that employees participate in the company wellness program in order to receive access to health benefits.
I am very supportive of the voluntary aspect of a wellness type of program, but the employees should have test results, blood pressure results, etc to be STRICTLY confidential. If “big brother” is looking at my results, I would feel very uncomfortable.
Thinking of myself I don’t smoke, I go to the gym four days a week, I drink very moderately, I try to eat healthy choices but I do sometimes eat things I shouldn’t. My levels are fine per my doctor. I work in the insurance industry to stress can be higher than it should be. Overall I am pretty healthy but of course getting older. There is just something about being told that I have to go to classes about eating health, or cooking healthy, or I should do more cardio versus weight lifting, etc. that just bothers me. My share of the health insurance has gone up and up every year with larger deductibles anyway. Now if I don’t participate in company programs I can lose even that benefit? Who qualifies these programs? Who says their ideas of healthy eating are correct? My doctor might disagree for what is best for me. Plus it seems they don’t really care about your health but more about what savings the employer can put back in their pocket while making you work more for less anyway. Just bothers me.
Wayne2, unfortunately, we live in a Big Brother society now where the powers that be want to control all human behavior. This is a reality for people who work for large companies. They want to control what you eat ( how about the Michelle Obama lunch diet) that kids won’t eat. Ban sodas, pizza and eat Tofu and Broccoli. Don’t BBQ anything since it leads to Global Warming. There are some real nut jobs out there.
“Tell me, Simple Agent, did you decorate your tinfoil hat for the holidays?
While this is all completely off topic:
Agent has stated something that is very true. Billions of dollars are invested each year by not only the government bodies, but corporations to understand and manipulate the human psyche. This is well documented throughout history, and taking 10mins of your time to research this information would reveal his statement holds validity. It is when an truth intrudes upon ones personal beliefs or thoughts of sanctity do you find such denial and statements such as the one I’ve chosen to quote at the beginning of this statement. Which in totality contributes nothing more to a conversation than a slight understanding of the closed minded mentality of the individual who posed such statement in the first place.
SMH wrote: “Billions of dollars are invested each year by not only the government bodies, but corporations to understand and manipulate the human psyche. This is well documented throughout history…”
Well, duh. Ever heard of things like talking points, advertising, focus groups and propaganda? Thanks for the pedantic lecture, though.
“Tinfoil hat” is a reference to those who are overly obsessed with the idea that others are trying to control their thoughts. If you identify with that group, so be it.
January 25, 2016 at 7:42 pm
Don't Call Me Shirley says:
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“…we live in a Big Brother society now where the powers that be want to control all human behavior.”
Bernie Sanders wants to raise taxes and has no problem with a 90% rate so everything will be free to you. Of course, you won’t have a job along with most Americans and the country will be a bigger version of Cuba or Venezuela. Get ready for those rice and beans.
More likely, just expanded bitching, whining, complaining, delusions, and BS after yet another maniac right-wing presidential candidate loses in historic fashion. Look at the electoral college map, the demographics, and do the math (not you, you have made it clear you don’t believe in math, but others who might be reading this).
Thank you once again, Simple Agent, for waddling into a collegial discussion of an important insurance issue and quickly reducing it to partisan political mudslinging.
Forced participation in an employee wellness program is flat-out wrong. Educating employees on heath awareness and encouraging a healthier lifestyle is a great benefit. Foisting it upon someone is not.
Let employees make their own choice, and respect their privacy. Re-price health plan participation so that voluntary wellness program participants receive a discount and non-participants are surcharged, but not prohibitively so.
Treat employees more as people than just capital.
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Actually I feel much less intruded upon by offering discounts or surcharges based on participation or non-participation in in wellness program than being allowed or not allowed in a plan based on participation. And I appreciate the discount for participating and proving my better lifestyle than my fellow employee who does not. Should I not pay less for health insurance by taking better care of myself and proving it than the employee who doesn’t?
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Eve’s Adam wrote:
“Insurance, remember, is designed to spread the risk over multiple exposures/participants.”
True, just as insurance can be priced to differentiate these multiple exposures based on predictive variables, which in this case could include participation in a company wellness program.
The content of a company wellness program is controlled by the company and the results are verifiable on an aggregate basis without any individual employee’s personal information needing to be seen by the company, alleviating privacy concerns. The same cannot be said for similar wellness activities undertaken by employees that do not participate in the company wellness program.
A surcharge for non-participation isn’t “punishment”, it’s the cost of not participating in the company wellness program. This to me is a fair exchange for the employer not mandating that employees participate in the company wellness program in order to receive access to health benefits.
I am very supportive of the voluntary aspect of a wellness type of program, but the employees should have test results, blood pressure results, etc to be STRICTLY confidential. If “big brother” is looking at my results, I would feel very uncomfortable.
Almost never………
Thinking of myself I don’t smoke, I go to the gym four days a week, I drink very moderately, I try to eat healthy choices but I do sometimes eat things I shouldn’t. My levels are fine per my doctor. I work in the insurance industry to stress can be higher than it should be. Overall I am pretty healthy but of course getting older. There is just something about being told that I have to go to classes about eating health, or cooking healthy, or I should do more cardio versus weight lifting, etc. that just bothers me. My share of the health insurance has gone up and up every year with larger deductibles anyway. Now if I don’t participate in company programs I can lose even that benefit? Who qualifies these programs? Who says their ideas of healthy eating are correct? My doctor might disagree for what is best for me. Plus it seems they don’t really care about your health but more about what savings the employer can put back in their pocket while making you work more for less anyway. Just bothers me.
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
“There are some real nut jobs out there.” you don’t have to tell us agent, we read your posts all the time!
Simple Agent wrote:
“…we live in a Big Brother society now where the powers that be want to control all human behavior”.
Tell me, Simple Agent, did you decorate your tinfoil hat for the holidays?
“Tell me, Simple Agent, did you decorate your tinfoil hat for the holidays?
While this is all completely off topic:
Agent has stated something that is very true. Billions of dollars are invested each year by not only the government bodies, but corporations to understand and manipulate the human psyche. This is well documented throughout history, and taking 10mins of your time to research this information would reveal his statement holds validity. It is when an truth intrudes upon ones personal beliefs or thoughts of sanctity do you find such denial and statements such as the one I’ve chosen to quote at the beginning of this statement. Which in totality contributes nothing more to a conversation than a slight understanding of the closed minded mentality of the individual who posed such statement in the first place.
*Tips tinfoil hat*
Good Day to you sir.
SMH wrote: “Billions of dollars are invested each year by not only the government bodies, but corporations to understand and manipulate the human psyche. This is well documented throughout history…”
Well, duh. Ever heard of things like talking points, advertising, focus groups and propaganda? Thanks for the pedantic lecture, though.
“Tinfoil hat” is a reference to those who are overly obsessed with the idea that others are trying to control their thoughts. If you identify with that group, so be it.
“…we live in a Big Brother society now where the powers that be want to control all human behavior.”
Yes, and you want to give them more tax cuts.
Bernie Sanders wants to raise taxes and has no problem with a 90% rate so everything will be free to you. Of course, you won’t have a job along with most Americans and the country will be a bigger version of Cuba or Venezuela. Get ready for those rice and beans.
“Over the last few years, wellness programs have become a popular way for companies to try to curb rising health-care costs.”
Coming soon, to a national health insurance law near you!
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
More likely, just expanded bitching, whining, complaining, delusions, and BS after yet another maniac right-wing presidential candidate loses in historic fashion. Look at the electoral college map, the demographics, and do the math (not you, you have made it clear you don’t believe in math, but others who might be reading this).
We can only hope!
Thank you once again, Simple Agent, for waddling into a collegial discussion of an important insurance issue and quickly reducing it to partisan political mudslinging.