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It is not uncommon for health insurance companies to offer incentives to those who participate in things like weight loss programs, smoke cessation programs and wellness programs. A surprisingly high number, 46% of employers, offer financial rewards for those engaging in these types of programs, or plan to in the coming year. What may surprise you is the new offering by a Des Moines based company, Principal Financial Group who has launched a new program that asks people with health risks to try to shape up or pay more. All participants in Principals plan start with “enhanced coverage” which has lower deductibles and co-pays than the standard coverage. Employees are then asked to submit to a screening and are scored based on the screening. Those who reach a certain score keep the lower cost coverage while those who don’t are urged to work with a plan provided health coach to improve their scores. You’ll pay higher co-pays and deductable if you don’t take the test, don’t work with the coach or generally slack off. Employees with valid medical problems will get the discounts but this is certainly a very radical change to the health insurance programs we are used to. Principal’s plan uses a formula that considers measurements that help decide if you will join a coaching program or risk paying more. Three of the measurements are actually things that we do have control off at least in some degree: Body Mass Index should be less than or equal to 30 Blood pressure should be below 160/100 Cholesterol should have LDL below 130 mg Of course such a program is bound to be controversial and I’m not sure how many employees would embrace a program that monitors you so closely. There is a feeling of big brother watching you but health insurance rates continue to rise and something has to change. I think it is pointing the way to the type of changes we will see in our future health insurance programs. How would you feel about it? Comments |
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