Too much big brother ?

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Did anyone hear about the companies that want to charge more for insurance for smokers and overweight people. (to the tune of 30 $ per month). I can kind of see the smokers ( I don't smoke ), there are ways to stop. But overwieght people it's a little different. (I'm not overweitht either). Are they looking at just weight... or muscle mass etc... What I worry about is, when will they start looking at DNA start dening due to predisposition to DM etc. Also , when we work under the stress that we do, work the hours that we do, work under staffed, get called daily to work extra (even when we're on vacation), work with no breaks or if we do get a break we eat in a cafateria that has all fried food, pasteries and whole milk (few healthy choices). They take a way the on site work out facility. Then, they wounder why many workers are overweight. Seems being health care facilities...... perhaps they should be a little more smart . It seem like they cant see the forest for the trees. :angryfire

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Did anyone hear about the companies that want to charge more for insurance for smokers and overweight people. (to the tune of 30 $ per month). I can kind of see the smokers ( I don't smoke ), there are ways to stop. But overwieght people it's a little different. (I'm not overweitht either). Are they looking at just weight... or muscle mass etc... What I worry about is, when will they start looking at DNA start dening due to predisposition to DM etc. Also , when we work under the stress that we do, work the hours that we do, work under staffed, get called daily to work extra (even when we're on vacation), work with no breaks or if we do get a break we eat in a cafateria that has all fried food, pasteries and whole milk (few healthy choices). They take a way the on site work out facility. Then, they wounder why many workers are overweight. Seems being health care facilities...... perhaps they should be a little more smart . It seem like they cant see the forest for the trees. :angryfire

I have heard of several employers docking employees pay for being overweight and being smokers. I even heard of an employer who fires anyone who smokes, even at home, and if any member of their family smokes. I understand it was taken to court and the employer won. On one hand, I understand what the employer is attempting to do, lessen his exposure. But on the other hand, I believe what a person does in his home is none of the employer's business. What I find truly amazing, is having a Supreme Court, that is definitely conservative, is not leaning toward upholding employer's rights over their employees.

Woody:balloons:

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I have heard of several employers docking employees pay for being overweight and being smokers. I even heard of an employer who fires anyone who smokes, even at home, and if any member of their family smokes. I understand it was taken to court and the employer won. On one hand, I understand what the employer is attempting to do, lessen his exposure. But on the other hand, I believe what a person does in his home is none of the employer's business. What I find truly amazing, is having a Supreme Court, that is definitely conservative, is not leaning toward upholding employer's rights over their employees.

Woody:balloons:

If the employer "won" they didn't "win" the case based on the fact that they have the right to fire someone that legally smoked in their home or that they lived with someone that did.

If they "won" the case, it is because smoking isn't a protected class, and an employer can terminate anyone in a right-to-work-state for anything that isn't legally protected such as race, gender, national origin, etc. There is a HUGE difference.

No court is going to formally rule (as the BASIS for the decision) that an employer has the right to monitor legal activities at home, outside of the job, that is not a reflection of moral character.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

If they think the nursing shortage is bad now, wait till they drive all the overweight, hypertensive, diabetic, back-injured, recovering alcoholic smokers out of the profession...........

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Well, I certainly hope that these insurance companies that want to charge higher premiums for people who are overweight also approve gastric bypass surgery for obese people who are seriously looking for help with losing the weight. With the extra money they're collecting they should be able to afford it. Otherwise, they are just hypocrits.

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If they think the nursing shortage is bad now, wait till they drive all the overweight, hypertensive, diabetic, back-injured, recovering alcoholic smokers out of the profession...........

AMEN TO THAT!

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I think if they are going to charge more for the 2 conditions mentioned, they should charge extra for someone with HTN, high cholesterol, PVD, pregnancy, drinkers of alcohol, users of drugs, those who engage in high-risk activities, such as having more than one sex partner or who goes to bars or who breathes polluted air or has elective surgery and so forth and so on. How about charge employers extra for not staffing properly and for causing staff to worry and be stressed? Or charging for sick newborns?

Let's face it - insurers just want to take your premiums but never want to have to pay out.

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