As waists expand, paychecks may shrink !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Daanyeer]

Source: Indianapolis Star
July 1, 2007 Author: Democratic Underground


Do you smoke? Are you obese? Is your cholesterol out of control?

In the coming years, workers at Indianapolis hospital system Clarian Health who answer yes to any of those questions could see their paychecks get smaller. In 2009, Clarian will begin charging workers up to $30 every two weeks for insurance if they let health risks such as smoking or high cholesterol go unchecked.

Clarian is not the only employer to use money as a motivator for employees to shape up.
More employers are zeroing in on obesity and smoking as the primary culprits for the ever-rising cost of health care. And that means companies increasingly are tracking not only their employees' productivity but also personal information such as their waistlines, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Some companies already have been monitoring employee health habits and sometimes charging premiums accordingly. But some programs, such as Clarian's, are moving beyond the honor system to mandatory health questionnaires and screenings... The company is considering making screenings a requirement for insurance coverage. "We want to be as cutting-edge as we can be," said Steve Appel, vice president for corporate development. "We're just focused on a healthy environment and healthy employees."

See http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... D=/2007...

Nonvegetarians with higher cholesterol
to pay more for insurance
http://www.democraticunderground.com/di ... 89x1245750