Option 1

Corporate Healthcare Penalties

Many corporations have started instituting healthy lifestyle recommendations for their employees. While these incentive programs were friendly at first, some are becoming very aggressive as companies continue to suffer due to high health care costs.

Clarian Health Partners faced controversy after they announced that employees who participated in unhealthy behaviors would face a surcharge of $30 per pay period. This included activities ranging from smoking, failure to fill out a health-risk questionnaire, or not meeting targets for weight, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Clarian put the measures in place in attempt to take a leadership role to combat the ever-prevalent unhealthy lifestyle in which many Americans are partaking .

The company made free nutrition coaching, lifestyle, stop-smoking programs, fitness centers, and other wellness activities available. However, many members were outraged. They found the requirements to be incredibly invasive.

Clarian decided to reverse their policy by offering people $30 paychecks if they complied with the recommended measures. By turning the system into a reward, not penalty-based program, they have received much more support. For some employees, the program has helped them lose weight and return to a healthy living standard.

Experts say that most companies are implementing encouraging rewards systems as opposed to penalizing their employees. At Johnson & Johnson, discounts are given to those who see a counselor to work towards a healthier lifestyle. IBM offers their employees $300 in cash for exercising, eating well, not smoking, and answering a health risk questionnaire.

If you are looking for the right Texas health insurance policy to protect your family, contact Option 1 today for assistance.