tonrob

My company's HR just said that there are a couple of minor changes to our health plan next year:

1) The cost is going up "slightly".

2) There's a new, voluntary "wellness" program where a nurse takes your blood and asks you questions and gives you health advice. If you opt in for this you get $20 off your premium each month.

Skeptical me saw this as the insurer paying you to get additional health info which it could later use against you when you claim.

Anyone have any experience of this? HR has said the paperwork won't be available for a while yet so no more info at present.

traceym

When DH changed jobs about 6 months ago I was bombarded with letters asking me to sign up to the health plans on line surveys, they promised a 'discount' if I did, I got so many i ignored them, I've no idea what they ask but it just seems fishy bombarding me and not DH or DS as we're all on the same plan.

Brit3964

Sounds a bit like a trick the banks used last year to beat the incoming law. They ask if you are interested in a loan from them, invite you to apply and once you give them permission, they deny you the loan, chop your credit card limit(s) and/or adjust your interest rates up. I know because they did that to me.

Bluegrass Lass

I have the same concern with my OH's company. His smallish company was just acquired by a (much) bigger corporation. They offer a $24/mo discount for non-smokers. There was hinting that they verify you are a non-smoker by taking a hair sample. Now, I don't know the science behind hair sampling, and if, indeed they can tell if someone smokes from a hair sample, but my larger concern was what else would they decide to test for once they have the sample? Personally, I'm not so quick to hand over blood/tissue/dna samples to insurance companies - who the hell knows what they have up their sleeves when it comes to figuring out how to deny claims and whatnot. :curse:

GeoffM

You're right to be concerned - there was some story a while ago about scientists being able to determine from your DNA whether you were more likely to be at risk of certain diseases - with the link here being that the insurance company might try to up your premiums based on that risk. Now, I guess you could say, what's the difference between, say, a family history of heart disease that you might already disclose, and information that your body provides?

Though I rarely quote Wikipedia, here goes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_testing

tonrob

Hmmm.... maybe I'm right to be concerned?

If it makes any difference it's a group insurance thingy s everyone at work pays the same premium. My worry is that they'll somehow use whatever they find to deny future claims. I admit I really know bugger all much about this stuff above and beyond feeling vulnerable under the US system and not trusting the insurance companies.

meauxna

attn: tonrob
Re: Subject Line

Query: Why do you hate us?

zargof

Where I work they've been doing something similar for the last couple of years. You have to fill out a survey, they record your weight, BP, cholesterol levels etc. Then there was also a "challenge" you had to complete such as doing a certain amount of exercise for a month of some dieting things. If you did all this you'd get a discount in the premium for the next year. I haven't bothered as I didn't think it was worth the effort for the saving (I think ~ $100 each for the year). But they've changed it for the next year where they just do the measurement and if you're values are in the acceptable range, then so long as you maintain that you'll get the reduction. If any of you're values are outside the acceptable range, then you have to work on getting one into the acceptable range. I'm probably going to do this as I'm pretty healthy, so it should be a no-op and they've increased the saving to $300 each.

I think the theory is that healthier employees cost less, whether they'll use the data they collect for any nefarious reasons I don't know.

naomi

Yep, wellness programs are very popular amongst employers these days, the idea is they make for a "healthier workforce" and save for costs in the long term. I have one at my work, and if you complete (or say you've completed) a bunch of healthy initiatives, you save money on next year's premium. We don't have to give a blood sample though, don't really like the idea of that!
Naomi.

celticgrid

Spooky! If it wasn't for a slight misalignment in dates, i.e. how far down the process you are, we could be working for the same company.

I feel that an individual's level of concern as to any ulterior motive will depend on the company they work for. I'm comfortable with buying in to this sort of scheme based on my employer.

The cynical me says "who benefits most?" and I see a big market for the management outfits, i.e. the company who administers the scheme, works with you to provide medical advice, etc. I suspect there's a new market opening up to get a slightly different angle on the health care $$$$$$ .

tonrob

Because you drink crap beer and don't like sprouts.