This week we were informed that as a Baylor Heath Care System employee, you must submit a personal health screening including: BMI, fasting glucose, BP and cholesterol signed by your physician, as part of a "wellness program."
Ok, fine whatever. BUT if you don't, you will be charged $25 per paycheck!
In addition, Baylor will no long be hiring tobacco users. In addition to your drug screening, you will be screened for nicotine and denied the position if tested positive.
This was on the front page of the Metro section in the Dallas Morning News today, and it has a lot of people up in arms.
This week we were informed that as a Baylor Heath Care System employee, you must submit a personal health screening including: BMI, fasting glucose, BP and cholesterol signed by your physician, as part of a "wellness program."
Ok, fine whatever. BUT if you don't, you will be charged $25 per paycheck!
In addition, Baylor will no long be hiring tobacco users. In addition to your drug screening, you will be screened for nicotine and denied the position if tested positive.
This was on the front page of the Metro section in the Dallas Morning News today, and it has a lot of people up in arms.
What are your thoughts??
Wow, talk about being up in your business! BUT, I can see their point: smokers, obese persons, hypertensive clients--they run the risk of raising the insurance premiums being paid by the corporation.
I have to aggree with a previous poster.....if you don't like it, don't work there.
while my initial reaction is surprise and dismay, when you really think about it, is it really a bad thing? I mean, if it promotes a healthy lifestyle. Now, the $25 per paycheck is hogwash.
Bottom line is, healthcare is expensive for everyone, companies included.
I think this policy is good. I know if I was a patient, I would want a Nurse or Doctor who was healthy. I honestly sometimes get angry when I see very overweight medical professionals...
As long as EVERYONE in the hospital (including MDs) has to comply with this policy then it seems like a good idea.
My hubby used to be a mid level manager for a major food manufacturing company. You probably all have some of their products in your kitchens now. At one time, we had comprehensive health insurance coverage, but over time, the costs crept up and the benefits dwindled until we were left with a $4K deductible and substantial co-pays. Most years, unless someone in our family of 4 had an ER visit, we didn't meet our deductible. The company self-insured, but hired a well-known nationwide insurance company to process the claims, so many employees didn't understand that the company actually paid the bills (and made the decisions regarding payment or non-payment.)
About 5 years ago, the company introduced a "voluntary" health coaching program in which each employee and family member were "encouraged" to take a health survey, which was VERY detailed and intrusive. You weren't required to do so, but if every family member did, the family's premium and/or deductible was lessened significantly. Hubby thought I was nuts for refusing to do so. Fortunately, we were pretty well off and the financial incentive was not enough to entice me to give up my privacy.
I am convinced that this was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to get at medical record information that the company had no legal right to, unless it was volunteered.
This company has had layoffs in the poor economy, as most have, but I can't help but wonder if the health information was taken into consideration in deciding whom to cut. The company will deny it, of course, but why not whack an employee whose kid has asthma and an eating disorder in favor of keeping one who eats rabbit food and runs every night?
I think this policy is good. I know if I was a patient, I would want a Nurse or Doctor who was healthy. I honestly sometimes get angry when I see very overweight medical professionals...
As long as EVERYONE in the hospital (including MDs) has to comply with this policy then it seems like a good idea.
It sure would be a perfect world if everyone was healthy wouldn't it? It's not, and it is not fair to discriminate against people who have health problems because of genetic predisposition, or lapses in less than health living. They have rights too! Kind of sounds like something Hitler would have done to eliminate those who were less than perfect.
You mention this as a hiring standard. Is there any mention of yearly monitoring? A one-two-three warning and you're fired? The policy IMHO is going after older workers. BP, chole, BMI, weight all go up with age. I agree with another poster this is discrimination under the guise of health promotion. If they were really concerned about healthy employees, they'd pay for the check ups and hire personal coaches for people needing help.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
It would be nice if they held docs to the standards mentioned, but many times hospitals get around ruffling physician feathers by saying that docs (except for hospitalists ) are not technically hospital employee, and so they are exempt.
Our hospital is starting to slowly bring in their own docs that will be hospital employees but still work outside the hospital. We just hired 3 pediatricians that will work in the outside clinic as regular Peds docs but will be employees of the hospital and it will impact this very thing you bring up. They will be held to the company standards and they have shown that in the customer satisfaction scores outside of the birthing unit the hospitalist had better scores. They feel it's because they have a lot more invested since they are employed by the hospital. I am interested in seeing how this all works out because it seems like it will have a positive impact. Already the Nurses have far better relationships with the hospitalist and the residents from it being this way.
The hospital my husband works at has done this for about 4 years now. Each employee must do the "health risk assessment" each year. Urine samples are required to test for tobacco derivatives, and those who test positive must complete a tobacco cessation class in order to be eligible for benefits.
The hospital is not unionized, but it is a magnet hospital.
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) are not technically hospital employee, and so they are exempt.
BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN
3,520 Posts
Wow, talk about being up in your business! BUT, I can see their point: smokers, obese persons, hypertensive clients--they run the risk of raising the insurance premiums being paid by the corporation.