This year, for the first time, my company is requiring that associates have a company-supplied biometric screening, which includes a blood pressure check, body fat analysis and a full lipid profile, which is a fingerstick blood draw to determine the risk of coronary heart disease. All participants must fast eight hours prior to their appointment to qualify for a $400/yr reduction in my cost of health insurance.
Of course, they assure us that the results won’t be shared with the company. I find it much more intrusive than the questionaire we used to fill out. They’re stopping short of saying it’s mandatory, but I’d be paying an extra $33/month for my health insurance. Has anyone else been required to do this?
StG
Do you get the discount only if you “pass” according to some criteria (e.g. body fat below a defined level), or do you get the discount just for agreeing to be screened?
Are there any potential ramifications for failure (e.g. if they determine that your risk of coronary disease is high)? E.g. an INCREASE in your health insurance rate, reduction in coverage, or potentally being put on an insurance blacklist?
robert - As long as you take the assessment, you get the discounted insurance rate. They won’t raise your rate if you have a predisposition to an illness (but will if you’re a smoker). According to them, the info will be held by a third party and per HIPAA regulations, won’t be shared by with my employer.
One thing I worry about is, if they do discover an illness, it could make getting insurance difficult down the road. Say if I needed to buy individual health insurance or life insurance. If you answer you were unaware of disease X and it shows up later, it might invalidate your insurance coverage.
I have very good insurance presently. I work for a large multinational company. Everyone in the US gets the same coverage, more or less. I just don’t like being bullied into this.
StG
My employer is in the 3rd year of this program. I didn’t participate in the first, cause I could absorb the additional cost. Then last year, they also started charging more for smokers (my hubby), so I decided that we would have to suck it up and do it, cause I’m not paying more twice.
I cannot express is civilized language how angry I am about this policy. I typically fall into incoherent grunts and shouts when I think about it too much. I think its a hideous invasion of privacy (I know its legal, I just don’t think its right).
I’m just as skeptical as you are, but seriously, what else can we do. I don’t know about your budget, but I’m trying to save for retirement and a newer car, I don’t need additional costs due to grandstanding on an issue in which I express the opinion of the minority. Most of my co-workers think I’m over-reacting. I think that they (and I) were too quick to roll over for money.
I hate being a trained monkey in the circus.