This cannot be legal

[NewNurseyGirl2009]

my husbands work does this blood draw and bp screening every year. while it is voluntary if you do not participate they will raise your rates $25 each adult subscriber per month. seems like an invasion of privacy and feels like they are bullying us into doing it. below is the email they sent

we will begin our annual health screening program in september. this program is available free of charge to all colleagues and spouses on the medical/short-term disability plan. the onsite testing dates are listed at the bottom of this email. if your location does not have a test date listed, this means that your location will not have an onsite screening and you will need to schedule a test-on-demand (t.o.d.) at an approved clinic near you. the t.o.d. must be completed between september 1st and october 30th. those who cannot attend the onsite screening can also schedule a t.o.d. please see the attached flyer for information in setting up a t.o.d.

the health screening consists of a medical questionnaire, a simple blood draw and a blood pressure check. the health screening is voluntary; however medical premiums will increase $25 per month (starting november 1st) for any colleague and $25 per month for any spouse on the medical plan who does not complete the health screening. the premium increase will be waived in a case where it is unreasonably difficult due to a medical condition, or medically inadvisable to participate in the health screening.

all test results are confidential! we will receive a summary report without colleague names that will provide general statistics on the wellness of our health plan participants. we will learn what our high-risk categories are such as heart attack, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. anyone with serious medical issues will be immediately contacted by a medical professional with recommended suggestions for their specific medical issues.

[Feels Like JD]

It's just the first wave of what will eventually be the ultimate in genetic testing for the sake of "equal underwriting". Invasion of privacy indeed. Wait till your rates go up for smoking, being overweight, or God forbid a disability.

[elkpark]

I work in a community health education program that provides programs like this for lots of businesses in my area (including all the city employees) and the medical center itself (that operates the health education program) is starting a similar program this year (next month). While not pleasant, it's an effort by employers to hold down their rapidly escalating insurance premium costs -- the "incentive" my medical center employer is offering is that those who participate in the voluntary program will not have an increase in their portion of the health insurance premium. What most of the businesses in our area have done is to begin with the voluntary program, and then, after a year or two for people to get used to the idea, make participation mandatory. You either take measurable, documented steps to improve your health status and reduce your health care risks that you can control, or you pay a penalty.

Sure. it seems somewhat draconian, but businesses are sinking under ballooning health care insurance costs (while the private-for-profit insurance companies continue to rake in huge profits), and they're trying to find some reasonable middle way to reduce the costs. Would you rather they just quit offering you insurance, which they are perfectly free to do in most states?? That would certainly make life a lot cheaper and simpler for employers ... While I'm usually no fan of Big Business or administrative types, I do feel some sympathy for them in this situation -- they're really caught between a rock and a hard place.

[NewNurseyGirl2009]

I work in a community health education program that provides programs like this for lots of businesses in my area (including all the city employees) and the medical center itself (that operates the health education program) is starting a similar program this year (next month). While not pleasant, it's an effort by employers to hold down their rapidly escalating insurance premium costs -- the "incentive" my medical center employer is offering is that those who participate in the voluntary program will not have an increase in their portion of the health insurance premium. What most of the businesses in our area have done is to begin with the voluntary program, and then, after a year or two for people to get used to the idea, make participation mandatory. You either take measurable, documented steps to improve your health status and reduce your health care risks that you can control, or you pay a penalty.

Sure. it seems somewhat draconian, but businesses are sinking under ballooning health care insurance costs (while the private-for-profit insurance companies continue to rake in huge profits), and they're trying to find some reasonable middle way to reduce the costs. Would you rather they just quit offering you insurance, which they are perfectly free to do in most states?? That would certainly make life a lot cheaper and simpler for employers ... While I'm usually no fan of Big Business or administrative types, I do feel some sympathy for them in this situation -- they're really caught between a rock and a hard place.

My problem is that I just had a physical with all the lab test they will do 2 months ago and they will not accept that. What about us that are proactive about your health? They told me I had to do it thru them. Makes me think they want the information so they can deny future claims.

[AZMOMO2]

All in all one more reason why we need to do away with private insurance and adopt a plan similar to Canada or England.