Workers' unhealthy habits could cost them

[losdiablosgato]

Workers' unhealthy habits could cost them

Companies look to save on insurance
May 16, 2005







BY KATIE MERX
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER



Smoke, eat, sit on the sofa. You'll probably keep your job, but you're likely to pay more for your health insurance.


With health insurance costs rising an average of 12% last year and 8% this year, employers across the country are struggling for some way to continue offering medical coverage without going broke.


That has companies taking a long, hard look at some of their most costly workers -- those who smoke, overeat and don't exercise.


Most businesses have rejected a Michigan company's controversial solution to simply fire all of its smokers early this year. But the idea of requiring employees to change their unhealthy habits -- or pay more for their insurance -- is gaining favor.



http://www.freep.com/money/business/obese16e_20050516.htm

[sasquatch]

1. It's too bad lobbying is legal because we could've had single payer care

[brainshrub]

2. One would think...

One would think higher insurance costs would push these corporations to start lobbying for universal healthcare; They would get rid of a huge expense and be able to retain the productivity benefits of a healthy workforce.

A possible explanation why they haven't is because many executives are heavily invested in the insurance companies themselves. Another reason could be that, as expensive as it is, having control over an employees access to healthcare is a great tool to keep workers in line while the management find ways to outsource rank-and-file jobs.

[losdiablosgato]

3. My pay sucks!! But my inusrance is good

That is why I play the good little IT droid.

[Festivito]

5. #3, jerk the workers. Add need for secrecy -- to keep profits high.

Businesses don't how much the health care carrot is worth, it keeps changing.

Complicating the pricing structure keeps clients from comparing pricing with each other. Sure, you can talk to a friend, but, two cases will tell nothing. And, they CAN'T give you THAT information because it's PRIVATE.

Of course lots of middle managers are needed to insure the costs "don't get out of line." And large CEO staffs are needed to keep all them in line. And, large payments and goldern parachutes are needed to administer the whole made up mess.

[shoelace414]

4. insuance would be cheap if

you only "insured" perfectly healthy people. but it would kind of defeat the purpose of insurance.

"you can go to the doctor, until you get sick"

[Psephos]

6. Exactly - who will insure the unhealthy after the cherrypicking? n/t

[mcscajun]

7. And who costs a company more...

...a couch potato with way below average absenteeism, who rarely sees a doctor and who's gone in for one surgery in 30 years with the company? Or a perfectly healthy woman who bears 2-4 children in 5-10 years? Or is it the upper management guy who has no visible bad habits but then when he hits 50 or so, has the triple bypass?

This is just another piece of corporate bullshit.

[MountainLaurel]

8. At my former employer

A trade association, smokers had to pay more for their insurance than nonsmokers, by about $50/month. So, if I as a nonsmoker had $75 coming out of my paycheck for insurance, they had to pay $125.

They also required a medical exam and an AIDS test prior to employment but after the job offer was made. Of course, the official word was that a job offer could not be rescinded because of medical results, but who knows?