I read with interest a recent article in which North Carolina intends to “test” their state employees for nicotine use or being “fat” and charge them extra for Health Insurance if either is true for them or members of their family.
In this article and this discussion it is noted that North Carolina will impose one of the most draconian set of stipulations for state employees to receive health insurance coverage at the premium level.
Quoted from the article:
State workers will now likely face random blood and breathalyzer tests. Presumably they will be measured to determine BMI. Low income employees who have no place to exercise and have difficulty obtaining fresh, healthy food will suffer the most.
Yes, you read that right. Here in the United States employees will be subjected to random testing and most likely BMI measurements. I can tell you how humiliating and frustrating BMI testing is from my Navy days. I was always on the “chubby” side and my genetics were against me. I fought hard and long to maintain the ideal BMI measurements for my height and weight. They were NOT easy to maintain.
From this web site calculator I should weight 165 lbs at 6’ 1” tall. The U.S. Army height and weight charts indicates my max weight should be 141 lbs. I can tell you that I do not meet these standards and therefore would be paying extra for my health insurance. I definitely don’t meet any BMI charts I’ve found.
While everyone is screaming about “socialist” medicine; how about screaming about fascist practices since there are two states that apparently already do this. I have to ask – with all this talk about “pre-existing” illness where does the smoker or overweight American fit in that scheme? And how far will we take this eventually. What conditions and practices will be considered “unhealthy” and hence cause your insurance premiums to soar? If you spend too much time at the computer and it causes you to need glasses then this unhealthy practice should increase your premiums? Will we be told that we need a certain amount of B12 or Vitamin D in our diet to qualify for “premium” health care? How does this affect the lower income crowd that has trouble just putting food on the table, let alone the RIGHT food!?
Has anyone calculated the extra costs of testing. The cost of coming in to office and testing state employees?
I think we need to be very careful in the United States allowing personal freedom erosion in the name of “health care”. As I’ve stated previously, health care in the U.S. is NOT about wellness but about money. Why are you not standing at the door when people return from lunch and record their fast food intake. McDonalds and other fast food is proven detrimental. Will you count bags and drinks as they come over the threshold? Two Big Macs a week and you lose your premium health coverage? How about if you breath the air in some cities that are polluted to the point of being bad for your health? Is this truly about wellness or profit? If you let insurance companies start shaving off costs based on personal choices where will this end? How far will you let this go?
In my opinion this is a travesty! Will they measure the BMI of our Senators and Congressmen? Will they measure the health of the executives at BCBS who provide the health coverage? This, in my humble opinion, is the beginning of fascism and we should be screaming about this more then “perceived” incremental changes that people see as socialism!
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