When Will Insurance Companies Discount Healthy Lifestyles

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

Insurance companies don't give a crap as long as the bottom line is profit. So I'm thinking never because it cuts into their profit.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

But wouldn't having more healthy people* on the plan be likely to increase profits?

*I know healthy habits don't guarantee healthy people, but in a large population it is likely to make a difference.

It would most likely take years for the impact of any incentives to be felt in the insurer's payout rates. The are concerned about the bottom line this quarter.

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

Insurance companies don't give a crap as long as the bottom line is profit. So I'm thinking never because it cuts into their profit.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

But wouldn't having more healthy people* on the plan be likely to increase profits?

*I know healthy habits don't guarantee healthy people, but in a large population it is likely to make a difference.

Yes, you would think.

Also, if it encourages people on the plan to make changes that minimize risk, that would be good for the insurance company.

I earned back about $400 for engaging in healthy behaviors thru my insurance's incentive plan. Not sure if we'll ever seen an actual lowering in premiums for healthy lifestyles because that can change so quickly and they are so profit driven. Most people have very little choice in insurance.

Many companies are self-insured. That means that they could discriminate in order to save money. An HR manager could look at a person and say "hmmm, the insurance is going to charge us more for this person". Or not give us a discount.

It's already hard enough for big people to get jobs.

You're right. Employers already see big people as "more expensive". nm.

TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »

Many companies are self-insured. That means that they could discriminate in order to save money. An HR manager could look at a person and say "hmmm, the insurance is going to charge us more for this person". Or not give us a discount.

It's already hard enough for big people to get jobs.

My husband works for a global company and doesn't even have a 'real' HR person in our state-it's all done online/phone, and then all of the insurance stuff is done through a third party. So there's no chance of discrimination. They do go by hard data though-mandatory biometric screening every fall. So if someone's health markers are 'bad' (cholesterol >240/HDL<35; BP>140/90), or their bmi is high ( >35), or if they're a smoker, then there's penalties attached to their health insurance. It's all pretty straight forward/streamlined.

edit: to include numbers, from biometric screening flyer we got in mail today

When will this apply to us older healthy people? I am super healthy, I exercise, all my numbers fall where they should. In the low percentage of my healthy BMI. No smoking, no drinking, no risky sports, no trips to the doctor except for a yearly screening. I still fall in the really-expensive category just because I'm older.

My family all died sort of one-day-fine-next-day-dead type thing. None of them were a burden on the health care or insurance system.

I should get a rebate. There are many people 20 years younger who use many more insurance dollars.


I don't have the answer.

PhilipHerlitz wrote: »

With HealthKit and the android equivalent out there, when do you think an insurance company will start discounting health plans for individuals who pair HealthKit to their insurance app and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Car insurance companies do something similar by giving you a device to plug into your car to measure safe driving.

Many insurance companies are already creating and testing different styles of "healthy living" programs. Currently, the one I work for offers an incentive program similar to what others have described above. Ours gives points for getting health screenings and points for having good results from said screening (BMI, Waist measurement, cholesterol levels, glucose and triglyceride levels). They also award points for steps taken per day, points for showing up at your gym, for maintaining a foodlog (They are linked to MFP for this), playing on a sports team, competing in physical competitions, for weekly weigh-ins, for participating in Health related training courses, etc

Just last year, it became a requirement for employees of said company to participate in said program. At a minimum, we are required to get a yearly health screening and to take a yearly health survey. Refusal to participates results in a $5 per week surcharge. They also have surcharges for smoking, but participation in an approved cessation program eliminates it. They also have counseling programs for weightloss as well which are free for

They've also partnered up with a couple diabetic prevention program. Currently testing it out with employees, but those whose health screenings point to per-diabetic conditions are offered free enrollment. There is conversations over adding a surcharge for those who refuse to participate once identified, but they haven't settled on who to partner with yet, so that's likely several years away.

Pretty much all the major health insurance companies have or are creating similar systems. Some are fully contracting out the services to third party vendors. Some, like us are combining an internally designed system that integrates with many of the popular health tools already on the market. But a couple are playing around with designing from the ground up.

I know AppleHealth is listed as one of our partnerships, but I don't know the extent, as I'm not an apple or Iphone user in any way.