CVS Workers Who Don't Disclose Weight, Body Fat

da_bears10089
da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I heard about this on the radio the other morning, and i was curious about what others thought about this situation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/cvs-workers-insurance_n_2915006.html

One of my previous employers had a benefits package set up as a HSA and if you completed assessments and logged exercise and eating, you earned points, and after so many points you received additional money in your HSA that you could apply towards your deductible if you happen to go to the doctor. Apparently the wording of this article is off. The employees aren't getting 600 taken out of their paychecks, rather a decreased incentive for refusing to complete the assessment.

One side states that it isn't the companies business what theif bf % is or how much they exercise and watch what they eat, but at the same time, risky driving gets your higher car insurance premiums, smoking gets your higher health insurance premiums, so if your eating and lack of exercise is risky for your health, then what?

Replies

  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    bump
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
    I wish my work would offer an incentive like this. It would be awesome and really good for my health.
  • rbeckner711
    rbeckner711 Posts: 129 Member
    I heard about this on the radio the other morning, and i was curious about what others thought about this situation.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/cvs-workers-insurance_n_2915006.html

    One of my previous employers had a benefits package set up as a HSA and if you completed assessments and logged exercise and eating, you earned points, and after so many points you received additional money in your HSA that you could apply towards your deductible if you happen to go to the doctor. Apparently the wording of this article is off. The employees aren't getting 600 taken out of their paychecks, rather a decreased incentive for refusing to complete the assessment.

    One side states that it isn't the companies business what theif bf % is or how much they exercise and watch what they eat, but at the same time, risky driving gets your higher car insurance premiums, smoking gets your higher health insurance premiums, so if your eating and lack of exercise is risky for your health, then what?
    I work in health care and our plan requires you complete the assessment or your insurance premium is increase by 25 bi-weekly. With the information obtained from your assessments you are sent periodic e-mails with personalized suggestions how to improve your health(articles, etc). It seems a rational approach to helping to create healthier employees.
  • RunWinterGarden
    RunWinterGarden Posts: 428 Member
    I wish my work would offer an incentive like this. It would be awesome and really good for my health.

    Exactly, people who are healthy and take care of themselves (i.e. no smoking) shouldn't have to shoulder the burden for those that don't. I used to work with a company that would fire you if they found out you smoked at all, then they got bought by a larger company and it changed to just a premium on your healthcare, but they still didn't allow anyone to smoke on company property (which meant your 15 minute smoke break just because 30-45 minutes before you got in your car, drove off campus, and did your smoking). I loved working there because it was a very healthy place and nobody ever reeked of smoking like I have to deal with from time to time now at my current office.
  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
    I think it's a great, and fair, idea. Maybe "pounds" isn't a fair measurement, but I think they are on the right track. Instead of reporting pounds, I would recommend blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and body fat %. All of those are better measures of health IMO.
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
    If you're obtaining health insurance from your employer then I think they should be able to ask for that information and provide incentives for people who are working to make themselves healthier. I don't see anything wrong with it.
  • annetteajordan
    annetteajordan Posts: 17
    Our insurance has a 25 dollar penalty for smokers. I quit three months before the premium started, but fear the same tax might next year be an over weight penalty.
  • InnerConflict
    InnerConflict Posts: 1,592 Member
    The company I work for is that that extreme, YET, but it is certainly going down that path.

    Smokers within our company pay more for their insurance, and they have been collecting data that suggests overall fitness level will be a factor in the future.

    I am all for it. Why should I pay the same for insurance as someone that smokes and is overweight?
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
    As long as there are base benefits that are the same for everyone, and participation is entirely voluntary, I think it's a good idea.
  • RunWinterGarden
    RunWinterGarden Posts: 428 Member
    As long as there are base benefits that are the same for everyone, and participation is entirely voluntary, I think it's a good idea.

    If you don't participate then the cost to you for the same "base benefits" that I would have would be higher than the cost I'm paying since I'm participating.
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
    My company offers incentives for people to get various health services to get a $500 reduction in what we pay towards our insurance. You get points for each activity and need to accumulate so many points.

    You can get a physical, a mammogram, complete an endurance event, or any one of like 20 other things. You have to complete 3 or 4 activities to get the incentive each year.

    All of it is confidential and not accessible to the company. The health insurance company keeps all the data.
  • hottamolly00
    hottamolly00 Posts: 334 Member
    Exactly.
    If you're obtaining health insurance from your employer then I think they should be able to ask for that information and provide incentives for people who are working to make themselves healthier. I don't see anything wrong with it.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    At my company (large company) they offer a $500 incentive for going and getting your annual physical and getting your bmi checked and answering a survey about your lifestyle. You start the year off with the $500 incentive and if you don't complete it by the determined date you lose the incentive and more money is taken out of your paycheck. I think the issue here is solely in wording. It sounds better and more acceptible to say that you are receiving a $600 incentive for doing something rather then receiving a $600 penality for not doing a thing, the outcome is the same but the wording is different.

    On another note, I like having insurance incentives and wish that there were more. I'm a 35 year old female who pays a crap ton of money every year to simply be healthy and not use my benefits. The money I put into the pot doesn't pay for me, it pays for all the people who use the crap out of insurance, it would be nice to get a little reimbursement for taking care of myself.
  • carrieliz81
    carrieliz81 Posts: 489 Member
    I think an incentive is an incentive.... it can help you out, but you don't have to do anything if you don't want to. A program like this can only be a win-win-win, especially if people take it seriously and use it to their benefit. Ha, benefit.... pun not intended. Wait, is that a pun, even? Whatever. Anyway. I wish I could earn these incentives points with my insurance!!
  • cleback
    cleback Posts: 261 Member
    My work does something like that. We have a program in place to earn points. If you get 300 pts, you get $300. Once a year there is a health assessment. It measures cholesterol, lipids, weight, BF%, blood sugar, and blood pressure. It's also a chance to talk about goals for the year. Completing it earn 150 points, so it's definitely part of the incentive.

    Definitely agree. As a culture, we have failed to take responsibility for our health and focus on disease prevention. Instead of being punitive about it, I'm glad some health insurances and workplaces have started providing incentives.
  • goofydude
    goofydude Posts: 4
    People have not read all the details. They just want you to go to the doctor so you are aware of your health and maybe will do something about health issues. This is not a big brother approach. this is wanting your employees to work at being healthy and the work starts with knowing what problems you have.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    If you were buying health insurance on the open market and were obese, hypertensive, prediabetic, and a smoker, you can bet your *kitten* that your premiums would be higher. Why should it be different when it's your employer?

    Healthier people make fewer claims, and fewer claims keep premiums down for everyone when it's time for businesses to renegotiate health insurance contracts. For the most part, these issues are caused by lifestyle choices and can be improved. The employee gets healthier AND saves money--a win-win.
  • PaulFields56
    PaulFields56 Posts: 108 Member
    How will the information be used? Can it be used for hiring/firing or promotions? Can they use the information to compel other behaviors? What happens when the company determines that employees (especially women) who are in their child-bearing years are an extra expense? Should they be compelled to plan pregnancies at the employers' convenience? Should a company be able to prevent an employee from engaging in certain sports because they are too risky?

    How effective is this new intrusion? I don't think you can legislate good health care. If feeling crappy from being fat and unhealthy isn't a motivation, why would money be?
  • goofydude
    goofydude Posts: 4
    They are not doing anything with the information. They are basing the adjustment in premium on WHETHER you get the assessment or NOT. They want you to go to the doctor and identify health issues so you MAYBE can treat it and maybe will be healthier.
  • rbeckner711
    rbeckner711 Posts: 129 Member
    How will the information be used? Can it be used for hiring/firing or promotions? Can they use the information to compel other behaviors? What happens when the company determines that employees (especially women) who are in their child-bearing years are an extra expense? Should they be compelled to plan pregnancies at the employers' convenience? Should a company be able to prevent an employee from engaging in certain sports because they are too risky?

    How effective is this new intrusion? I don't think you can legislate good health care. If feeling crappy from being fat and unhealthy isn't a motivation, why would money be?
    The information in my plan isn't able to be accessed by the employer. That would be a HIPPA violation. Rather, the incentives ultimately results in a healthier work force, thus reducing the cost of insurance to both the employer and employee. It is in the best interest of both the company and employee to work together to help the employee to be healtier.
  • rbeckner711
    rbeckner711 Posts: 129 Member
    They are not doing anything with the information. They are basing the adjustment in premium on WHETHER you get the assessment or NOT. They want you to go to the doctor and identify health issues so you MAYBE can treat it and maybe will be healthier.
    ^^^ what he said.
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
    This is one of those threads where I sit and thank my lucky stars that I was born in the UK and not the US (sorry!) and remind myself not to whine about the NHS.
  • nczuczu
    nczuczu Posts: 611 Member
    My company had something similar, but it was completely optional. To participate, the employee and their spouse if they chose to participate needed to have a biometric screening done before 12/15/12, either onsite or at the doctor office with the info sent into the 3rd party. If we did this, then for 2013, we received a $25 credit/month for employee and $25 credit/month for spouse (if both participated) on our paycheck (potentially $300 back in my pocket). It was completely voluntary and was handled through a 3rd party. If we chose not to participate, then we would not get the credit. The screening included Blood Pressure, height / weight, waist circumference (to figure out body fat/BMI), Cholesterol and Glucose screenings. My husband and I both participated and are now seeing the savings on each paycheck. It was an eye-opener for both of us and is part of the reason we both decided to get healthy in 2013.

    While I am confident the initial information will not be shared with my employer, I do wonder what will happen in the future. We were told the information is being used to analyze the health of the employees in the company. Is this information going to be used down the line to force employees to do something about their overall health? Hard for me to say. But I have seen that this is a growing trend for companies.

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