NA Required medical exam for company health insurance

denverpilot

denverpilot

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DenverPilot
My wife was recently told she must go have a "wellness management" physical prior to signing up for her medical bennies for next year.

Something about that strikes me as illegal. Thoughts?
 
We had one of those things from our isurance co, but it was optional. Ours was - measure height, weight, BMI, BP, and maybe cholesterol. Put it all on a chart and give you a copy. Then you are supposed to see what you can do so next year, when they do the same thing, you can find out if you improved your numbers. The only real motiviation for any employees to participate was that you'd get a $25 gift certificate to some fast food joint or someplace like that.

It was voluntary, though.
 
Matthew said:
We had one of those things from our isurance co, but it was optional. Ours was - measure height, weight, BMI, BP, and maybe cholesterol. Put it all on a chart and give you a copy. Then you are supposed to see what you can do so next year, when they do the same thing, you can find out if you improved your numbers. The only real motiviation for any employees to participate was that you'd get a $25 gift certificate to some fast food joint or someplace like that.

It was voluntary, though.
Click to expand...

:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Matthew said:
The only real motiviation for any employees to participate was that you'd get a $25 gift certificate to some fast food joint or someplace like that.
Click to expand...

That there's funny, don't care who you are...
 
We had one of those from my company a couple of years back.
Just a one time thing
Was optional only in so far as being "indemnified" by the insurance company was also optional
Got no gift certificate for doing it
Happened for the 2010 insurance year only. Was never asked to repeat it
 
denverpilot said:
My wife was recently told she must go have a "wellness management" physical prior to signing up for her medical bennies for next year.

Something about that strikes me as illegal. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Nothing illegal. Pretty standard these days.

THey figure, if they're taking you on, they ought to at least know what they're getting into and steer you into cost-reducing treatments. It's not like if you show up with carcinoma they will reject you. It's more like, if you're really fat (say, an Average American) they'll recommend diet programs or set you up with a nutrition counselor. This way they can try and head off diabetes. Spend a penny, save a pound, as it were.
 
She'll probably just do it, but thought it was interesting.

She has high cholesterol due to a genetic defect (missing a chromosome in some cells), a leaky heart valve, and whatever else. None of which her GP is particularly concerned about other than drugs to lower the cholesterol even after diet changes. Her BP is also slightly elevated. Related to the other issues.

Man, the way that reads, you'd think she was falling apart! Ha. Not that bad.
 
We have a similar program at work. See the nurse, get a blood draw (cholesterol) and a few other measurements. Come back for results. The key benefit to me is that doing this simple process saves me $250 off my medical insurance premium for the year. I can be bribed.
 
You can always decline your employer's health insurance and pay for your own policy on the individual market.
Jon
 
Too bad she's not a pilot, she could just hand them a copy of her 3rd class medical cert. "If the government says I'm good to exercise pilot privileges...."
 
Wow, there are still people out there that are not on a two tier system?

CHeckup every year. Either you score well enough, agree to work on something if you don't, or get the lower level of benefits.
 
The average family medical plan now costs employer+employee $20,000/year. For an employee that makes $50,000/year and pays the average employee contribution, that means healthcare cost is 33% of their compensation. That's 3x the amount they'd pay in Federal Taxes. And it doesn't even include what employees pay out of pocket for co-pays and uncovered treatments.

Does it make more sense that evil corporate America really wants us to be more healthy and eat better because they care about us, or because this is starting to crush everything in its path?
 
seand said:
The average family medical plan now costs employer+employee $20,000/year. For an employee that makes $50,000/year and pays the average employee contribution, that means healthcare cost is 33% of their compensation. That's 3x the amount they'd pay in Federal Taxes. And it doesn't even include what employees pay out of pocket for co-pays and uncovered treatments.

Does it make more sense that evil corporate America really wants us to be more healthy and eat better because they care about us, or because this is starting to crush everything in its path?
Click to expand...

I got our renewal quote yesterday from BC/BS up 37% on average for the 3 plans we offer. Up until now they offered either "single" coverage for the employee only or "family" coverage for the employee plus spouse and children. This year we have single, single + spouse, single+ children, or family. The family coverage went up $1000.00 per MONTH with higher out of pocket expenses!:hairraise: Single coverage went from $480.00 or so to $600.00 average per month.:mad2: We are shopping and will probably have to change carriers after 15 years, but my people can't afford the cost of the coverage. I pay the first $200.00 of whatever plan they choose, but that leaves some with $3-500.00 per WEEK!:dunno:
I am not sure that many companies won't choose to pay the penalty rather than buy insurance for employees, I hope that doesn't happen, but I think it's a reality.
 
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seand said:
Does it make more sense that evil corporate America really wants us to be more healthy and eat better because they care about us, or because this is starting to crush everything in its path?
Click to expand...

Hmm, let's not forget that the insurance companies saw it coming, and did nothing to prepare. The Boomer wave is rediculously well documented.

No one is going to convince me the Actuaries at these companies didn't tell someone the policies they were writing weren't sustainable. A long long time ago.

The execs know its just easier to change the rules or buy Congress than to plan appropriately.
 
When ever we increase our coverage during "open season" the insurance company asks for a general statement of health. I added long term disability coverage to the standard company paid short term coverage. A simple health statement was all they asked for.
 
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