‘Insured’ doesn’t mean no worries
If you still have health insurance through your workplace, you can consider yourself lucky. But be aware that the rising cost of care is prompting more employers to attach bonuses AND penalties to employees’ premiums as incentives to participate in testing and to make healthier lifestyle choices.
Kaiser Health News reports: “Proponents say such plans offer people a financial incentive to make healthier choices and manage chronic conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, which are driving up healthcare costs in the USA. Even so, studies of the effect of such policies on lifestyle changes are inconclusive. And advocates for people with chronic health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, fear that tying premium costs directly to test results could lead to discrimination.”
I can see both sides. I don’t like the idea of sharing personal health information with employers, and I’m skeptical about the benefits to health or the bottom line. Yet I did participate in insurer-sponsored testing this year with the assurance that my employer would see only aggregated results.
What do you think of all this?
April 2, 2012 - 12:39 PM
The place I work offered this last year. If you wanted the choice of 3 insurance plans you MUST have your blood drawn, etc. OR get stuck with the least coverage possible (screw your family).
So, I used the HIPAA laws “to my advantage”. I HAD my blood drawn thereby meeting the requirements set out for me. I then sent a letter telling them they could NOT share any of the information they gathered from the blood draw.
I figured it was just a “feel good” measure for me fully expecting they’d get my letter and throw it in the trash.
Much to my surprise, they actually took it seriously. Because their computerized system wasn’t set up to handle giving the health insurance option to those people who refused their consent, it caused some headaches (I hope for them too). I risked having to take the crappy insurance option but they were somehow finally able to make it work.
The part about that really made me mad was the way it was presented. It was presented as a way of helping us. They were giving us options on which insurance coverage to get. But in fact, because of the economics of it all, there wasn’t an option IF you didn’t want the crappy insurance.
I think the expression is blowing sunshine up my …. but am not sure.
You wre having sushine blown up the ol’ chute, for sure.
Fortunately, you “whistled Dixie” for an encore.
Yes, this is the trend. Take this “survey” for “research” and get a discount or if you refuse, your insurance deduction will go up. Take this “survey” for “research” and we will send you a $75.00 AmEx card. Then the “life coaches” start contacting you… then quarterly progress reports to see how you are doing on their “need to improve” list they gave you after the survey. Then quarterly wellness visits from a nurse who can prick your finger and tell your cholesterol, advise on your blood pressure, obesity etc. And my personal fav so far, if a couple chooses to both join the most favorable group coverage of two employers, a $600.00 per year penalty for that choice for better coverage. Of course we should give them more power over our decisions, just as long as the government has none it is all just fine.
Which just further shows the ludicrisy of having health insurance tied to a job. If we really want to promote entrepreneurship, then affordable, good coverage for EVERYONE regardless of health has to be available on an individual basis. And no jacking your rates up when you get sick. I talk to people all the time who feel stuck at a job, or are working and putting up with awful conditions for the health insurance. Look at Switzerland’s model. Everyone has private health insurance that is not tied to a job. And yes, everyone has to participate. But you get to choose what type/amount of coverage you want and what company you want to deal with.
I agree with Sandy, too. I am tired of the insurance company “guessing” what I am treated for and then sending me unwanted mailings and services.