Health Survey

[blas]

So guess what? Not only does upper management control our (little) free time and our weekends by forcing us to do overtime every week, but guess what the newest thing they'll have control over is?

Our health and habbits!

That's right. The insurance company put together a health assessment that every employee must take at the beginning of January. We have to take it on-line at work, during work hours (we'll most likely go in groups). We have to answer a survey of questions. We have to come in that day knowing our current weight and measurements, height, etc. It will calculate our BMI for us. We have to say if we smoke or not, drink, etc etc.

And it gets even better after that!

All the smokers get to join a smoking cessation class! That's right...and no one can get out of it because everyone knows who smokes and who doesn't, and if someone squeaked by, they'd be tattled on for sure and forced to join.

I guess because we're all so god damn fat and obese, we are wasting insurance money. Their precious, precious money! I guess since our jobs stress us out so much that we smoke like chimneys, we need to correct that NOW, because it's unecessary to pay for our insurance when we give ourselves cancer.

Oh. Just. Get. Off. Your. High. Horses.

They can't make anyone go on a diet, and they CERTAINLY CANNOT make anyone quit smoking.

I don't want to start a smoking or dieting debate, I just wanted to state how god damn ridiculous this is!

[Emrld]

I understand where you are coming from. I just want to give you some more information to think about.
This has been going on for a couple of years now.
It doesn't just have to do with health insurance rates. True that is part of it . . .and some insurance companies are saying - do this or we won't cover your employees anymore and then they can't find another company that will take them on without costing an arm and a leg. (basically putting the employment company between a rock and a hard place)
Their have been studies that show smokers and those that don't watch their health tend to miss more work due to being sick than healthy non smokers.
This is information coming to you from a former smoker (one month smoke free) And I need to lose some weight to be healthy. I don't think it is up to a place of employment to enforce these kinds of changes . . . yet at the same time I can see why they doing so.
I had friends who worked at places that became 24-7 of your life smoke free and basically they had to look at it as the company actually giving a flip about their health vs big brother situation.

[blas]

I can understand where you are coming from as well. My only problem is being a smoker, though, and I don't miss work because I smoke. I don't get sick very often. I don't get colds or the flu more often, as statistics would say smokers do. I wouldn't expect anyone's sympathy if I got cancer. I'm a big girl and I can do whatever I want.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I certainly agree that it seems like Big Brother is watching your every breath.

I read an article months ago in Business Weekly about this. It's a fact that insurance premiums are really hammering businesses. In an attempt to control their premiums, many companies are doing exactly what yours is doing.

I agree with you. I agree with them. It's not an easy question, and I don't know what the solution is. I'm wondering where the line will be drawn.

[Custard Chick]

This just reminded me of a new hiring policy at my mom's work:

A prominent world-wide private hospital system has just enacted a new hiring policy where they have stated that they will not be hiring any new employees that use tobacco. They will test all new applicants using Cotinine test which will detect any and all tobacco in the applicant's body. Those who receive a positive Cotinine test will not be offered employment, but can reapply after 90-days and will be referred to a free tobacco cessation program paid for by the clinic.

Though the entire clinic health system (which includes over 15 hospitals in the US, Canada, and soon the United Arab Emirates, several family clinics, and countless surgery centers and doctor's offices) has always been smoke-free, in the past two years, the entire health system has gone smoke-free, which includes all of the ground the hospital owns. Those who smoke now do so off campus, off any hospital-owned property, which is often expansive.

Random note: The hospital my mom works at is located just over a bridge that spans over a valley. The bridge is about half a mile long and several high and is often referred to as a jumpers bridge as many people attempt to commit suicide off this bridge. The smoker's often go the this bridge to smoke as hospital property starts right as the bridge ends. Since the hospital campus became smoke-free, the 'bridge smokers' have saved several jumpers, more than any other year previous.

That fact amuses me.

[LifeCarnie]

So guess what? Not only does upper management control our (little) free time and our weekends by forcing us to do overtime every week, but guess what the newest thing they'll have control over is?

Our health and habbits!

That's right. The insurance company put together a health assessment that every employee must take at the beginning of January. We have to take it on-line at work, during work hours (we'll most likely go in groups). We have to answer a survey of questions. We have to come in that day knowing our current weight and measurements, height, etc. It will calculate our BMI for us. We have to say if we smoke or not, drink, etc etc.

First of all, your insurance company and your upper management are two entirely seperate entities, so "the man" is not out to get you.

Second of all, these screenings are fairly common practice with health insurers.

Third of all, it's not mandatory, that's illegal, however, it is highly likely that iit may be required for you to keep your insurance. If you don't want to comply, drop your insurance. Otherwise, the people who are subject to paying your medical bills have a right to know whether you are big fat slob, who reeks like an ashtray or not. Just like car insurers have a right to know whether you're a hazard behind the wheel.

I've been subjected to this same type of screening at my job for the last several years. I really don't have a problem with it. The insurance company actually discount they're rates if you have healthy habits, based off this survey. Like getting your ass off of the coach and gettting some exercise.

[wagegoth]

The BMI part really bothers me, as studies have shown that it is not a healthy weight for most people.

The people I know who meet the BMI are sick more often and miss more days than the ones who aren't, often because they are continuously dieting in a way that isn't nutritionally sound, and they continue to diet while sick, when they should be fueling their bodies to fight the illness.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, what bothers me is not that they do it, but they will probably be using outdated and just plain wrong ways of determining if you are healthy or not.

At 5'6", size 8, I am obviously not overweight. But I have a lead skeleton or something. I weigh much more than I look like I should. Going by my BMI would not give you an indication of my size or fat ratio.

Also, neither would my diet. I would be concerned with someone having a problem with my diet, which is quite high in fat. I would hope that they would rely more on blood chemistry and blood pressure than what I'm eating for lunch. Cuz I ain't about to give up my bacon.

[Primer]

This just reminded me of a new hiring policy at my mom's work:

A prominent world-wide private hospital system has just enacted a new hiring policy where they have stated that they will not be hiring any new employees that use tobacco.

This is actually becoming rather common-place. Personally, I believe that every business has the right to hire whomever they want to, and discriminating against us smokers is perfectly acceptable WHEN HIRING.However, IMNSHO, they should not be able to discriminate retroactively.

Sure, make the classes available for those who choose to take advantage, but don't make them a requirement.

I'll shut up now, before I get censored and told to go to fratching.

[Gurndigarn]

If attendance is mandatory, then they should be paying you for it.

[Spiffy McMoron]

I'm a big girl and I can do whatever I want.

As far as I can tell from your post, nobody has told you that you have to stop smoking, exercise more, and eat better. As far as I can tell, all your health company is doing is getting a history of your health--similar to a bank running a credit check or a car insurance company checking to ass if you have tickets.

Random note: The hospital my mom works at is located just over a bridge that spans over a valley. The bridge is about half a mile long and several high and is often referred to as a jumpers bridge as many people attempt to commit suicide off this bridge. The smoker's often go the this bridge to smoke as hospital property starts right as the bridge ends. Since the hospital campus became smoke-free, the 'bridge smokers' have saved several jumpers, more than any other year previous.

That fact amuses me.

There's something deliciously ironic in this fact, and I thank you for sharing it.

Just would like to ask people to please keep things calm and reasonable here. This thread has been great so far, and it would be terrible for that to change.

[Seshat]

The BMI is not a reliable test. An accurate body fat percentage test is the only reliable way to determine whether someone has a clinically unhealthy level of adipose tissue, or whether they're just muscular, or large framed, or heavy bones. And most accurate body fat percentage tests are difficult to do properly, or expensive.

I hope the insurance company is then going to offer free thyroid, hormone, and other testing to those who show up with clinically unhealthy levels of adipose tissue, and pay for the treatment of those who are determined to have thyroid or metabolic disorders.

(Actually, if they did screen for unknown-until-now disorders and cover the treatment, I'd actually be in favour of it. It would do more good than harm, on balance. Depending, I guess, on the consequences for those who were obese but didn't have a problem.)

[Custard Chick]

This is actually becoming rather common-place. Personally, I believe that every business has the right to hire whomever they want to, and discriminating against us smokers is perfectly acceptable WHEN HIRING.However, IMNSHO, they should not be able to discriminate retroactively.

They're not punishing their current employees, the bridge smokers are still there, puffing away, and pulling jumpers off the bridge! lol!

But every month they do have quit-smoking classes (or "Smash the Ash") that they "highly encourage" their smoking employees to go to. I wouldn't be surprised if there are bonuses or benefits to attending these classes also.

Spiffy, isn't that wonderful? The hospital started giving out awards to those who have saved an abundant of patients and guess who are getting the awards! lol!

[symposes]

I dont have a problem with the idea that if you try to lead a healthy life, you should get insurnece discounts.

But just because i dont like to be really physically active, doesnt mean i should be denied insurence.

Ive had my insurence for 2 years now. Outside of allergy shots, I have only used it twice.
I went to the ER once, and the second use was a normal visit, that Low and behold, my insurence refused to cover. Surely with my employer being a state funded university, with its own hospitial, offering its own insurence to its employees, surely they would be above dropping me for health reasons.

Health insurence would seem like a scam, if you werent allowed to use it.

PLease tell me that the socialized health care systems have bs like this. that way i wont be so upset over this.


If it costs businesses too much money to offer insurence, why not socialize it, thne the employers can save a bunch of money... Oh thats right, the american government is supposed to look incompetent, so instead of doing helpful things for the people that need them, they just kill innocent civilians.*Thats a much different debate however.*

[Mr. Rager!]

I've always been for this kind stuff. Main reason is that I think cigerettes should actually be illegal based on the stuff that is in them.

However, I'll never get my way on that. Companies do pay more to insure smokers than they do to insure non-smokers.

One could argue that they could just make the smokers pay more towards their insurance premiums, that might not be such a bad idea.

If the class helps, wouldn't you like to become a nonsmoker?