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Obamacare Provision Allows Employer(s) To Penalize Overweight Employees? (Read 325 times)

Gator eye


    Oh...and of course, what would the criteria be? I just had my body fat hydrostatically tested and I have the body fat percentage of an athlete. Of course going with just my weight/height and the BMI, I am considered obese.

     

    You might have a low percentage of body fat but you still weight a lot.  That puts you at a higher risk for bad hips, knee's, lets throw broken bones in there too just cause you probably don't bounce as well as a lighter person. To the penalty box you go!

     

    Looks like a slippery slope to me.


    Oh roo roooo!

      Worked with a woman who was all for our employer mandating flu shots b/c she normally got a shot every year anyway, believed it was a good practice (penalty was being fired if you didn't comply).  However, her belief in this mandating stuff went away a few years later when our insurance began carrying a VERY significant $$ penalty for smokers, which she was, and DAMNED if anyone was going to tell HER to quit!  So mandating behaviors is OK, as long as it doesn't step on YOUR toes....slippery slope here, I feel.

       

      Edited to add:  To add to the slippery slope thing:  With this particular employer, the first year, we were offered a free basic checkup and paid a bonus if we went, regardless of results.  The next year, we were offered a free basic checkup and told we could take it on company time but no bonus, regardless of results.  The following year, we were offered a free checkup on our own time, regardless of results.  Then after like 2 years came the mandatory flu vax--get it or lose your job.  Then a year later came paying more for insurance if you smoke.  This past year, the new wrinkle was that you also had to go get weighed and have your doc report your BMI, but no penalty yet.  Want to bet that next year, those w/high BMIs will be paying more?  And the year after that, they will request a cholesterol panel "just as info", and the year after THAT, there will be a penalty for having high cholesterol also.  Just a bit too much Big Brother for me, sorry.

        Worked with a woman who was all for our employer mandating flu shots b/c she normally got a shot every year anyway, believed it was a good practice (penalty was being fired if you didn't comply).  However, her belief in this mandating stuff went away a few years later when our insurance began carrying a VERY significant $$ penalty for smokers, which she was, and DAMNED if anyone was going to tell HER to quit!  So mandating behaviors is OK, as long as it doesn't step on YOUR toes....slippery slope here, I feel.

         

        Reminds me ot the Tea Party movement.   "Smaller Government!"  "End Federal Taxes!"  "End the Handouts"!  "---But DON'T Touch my Medicare, and DON'T mess with my prescription drug Benifits!   And DON'T TOUCH my SOCIAL SECURITY Check!" and "Why won't they fill in this pothole out here in front of my driveway?"

         

        Yep, No 'free handouts' for them, but don't step on MY toes. :-)

         

        Signed, K. L. Duke, a "47%er" who got back more on my tax return than I paid in for FY 2010.  (Because I was deployed overseas in tax-free zone, but still, part of the 47%!). Wink

        .

        The Plan '15 →   ///    "Run Hard, Live Easy."   ∞


        #artbydmcbride

          I find a rest day after a marathon works best for me....not complete rest, maybe a 3 mile walk.  Smile

           

          Runners run

            I'm still waiting for this thread to go nuclear. This is an appallingly civilized forum -- the folks at Letsrun would be gutting each other like fish by now.

            FSBD


              I'm still waiting for this thread to go nuclear. This is an appallingly civilized forum -- the folks at Letsrun would be gutting each other like fish by now.

               

              Come on Man.

              There still must be some deep dark corners of the interwebs where people can be civil and act like decent people even if they disagree.  No?

              We are the music makers,

                  And we are the dreamers of dreams,

              Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

                  And sitting by desolate streams; 

              World-losers and world-forsakers,

                  On whom the pale moon gleams:

              Yet we are the movers and shakers

                  Of the world for ever, it seems.

                I'm still waiting for this thread to go nuclear. This is an appallingly civilized forum -- the folks at Letsrun would be gutting each other like fish by now.

                 

                I was thinking the same thong.  Except it was the folks at RWOL who would take it nuclear pretty quickly on most occasions.   Page 3 and we are looking good.  Personally I do not miss the act of threads going nuclear.  The fact that folks can talk about things relating to politics and keep it civil gives me great hope about the human race as a whole.  Us runners are an advanced and civilized breed... (Well, aside from the discussion of snot rockets, black toenails falling off, and the like, eh?)

                 

                ---But y'all didn't even pay attention to what I said in my last papragraph, did ya?  some of yall stopped reading at the mistype I made of 'thing' as 'thong', didn't ya?  It was just a mistype, not a Freudian slip.  Or then again, maybe it was a freudian slip..   Hmmmm,...

                The Plan '15 →   ///    "Run Hard, Live Easy."   ∞


                MoBramExam

                  Not nuclear yet, even after you did your damndest a few posts up.

                   

                   

                  I was thinking the same thong.  Except it was the folks at RWOL who would take it nuclear pretty quickly on most occasions.   Page 3 and we are looking good.  Personally I do not miss the act of threads going nuclear.  The fact that folks can talk about things relating to politics and keep it civil gives me great hope about the human race as a whole.  Us runners are an advanced and civilized breed... (Well, aside from the discussion of snot rockets, black toenails falling off, and the like, eh?)

                   

                   



                    ---Was merely joking in my Tea party comment.  Humor only.  If it wasn't humorous at all, that is because all of my humor is pretty sh1tty from what I gather. Smile  The Tea party is a group of folks who want fiscal responsibility for the USA, and I agree with that basic principle.

                     

                    ---I am of no party or political affiliation.  I believe that the entirety of congress and both political parties are doing equal damage and equal diversion from the real issues that face this country.   Just wanted to clear up my intentions.  (Or non-intention as it were)..

                    .

                    The Plan '15 →   ///    "Run Hard, Live Easy."   ∞

                      and soon we'll be at page 4....

                      Life Goals:

                      #1: Do what I can do

                      #2: Enjoy life

                       

                       


                      MoBramExam

                        Dang!  And MrFinn probably had his finger on the red button.

                         

                        and soon we'll be at page 4....

                         




                        ultramarathon/triathlete

                          My company has an incentive program that gives you like, $200 or something if you complete a set of telephone "counselling sessions."  I think it's 4 or 5 calls over as many months.  I've done it now for 3 years.

                           

                          Thing is, you can be "counselled" on:

                          • stress management
                          • exercise motivation
                          • healthy eating tips
                          • smoking cessation
                          • weight loss
                          • maybe something else along those lines

                          I didn't fall under any of the above topics since I'm a fit, healthy vegetarian distance runner (no real stress, obviously don't smoke, am thin).  But I did the exercise motivation anyway.  First call, the "coach" asked me how much I exercised.  At the time I was training for IM so it was 2x a day, 14-20 hours a week.  By the second call our 15 minutes was me working out a training plan for the half marathon she was training for, which was the tone of the rest of our calls. She did finish the half marathon.  I got my $200.   I filled out the end of program survey saying I didn't think it was "fair" that there was not a topic area for "everyone" and I was told I was missing the point of the program.  Roll eyes

                          HTFU?  Why not!

                          USATF Coach

                          Empire Tri Club Coach
                          Gatorade Endurance Team


                          ultramarathon/triathlete

                            Oh and I think we also get $5 extra per paycheck for not smoking.  Some tiny amount like that, which is odd.

                            HTFU?  Why not!

                            USATF Coach

                            Empire Tri Club Coach
                            Gatorade Endurance Team

                              Get off my porch

                              carolynlaitsch


                              gramapower

                                I think that people that take care of their health should get a discount on health insurance.  I work as a RN and it's shocking to see how many children are morbidly obese.  Those children will be diabetics before they become adults.  Talk about a drain on our health care dollars!  People gripe about welfare, but our health care dollars are going to break the economy if we don't change peoples attitudes about caring for themselves.

                                carolynlaitsch

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