Obese? High Cholesterol? Smoker? You Might Start Paying More for your Employer Sponsored Health Insurance
Saturday January 12, 2008
Is this the future for health insurance? According to FOXNews.com workers may have to start proving they are improving their health or pay out. The article says that "starting in 2009, Clarian will begin charging workers extra for insurance if they let health risks such as smoking, obesity or high cholesterol go unchecked." Workers who fail to do nothing about improving their health risks will be charged more "if they can't prove they're working to improve their health."
It's not new that managed health care plans have been using screening methods and offering clinics to improve the health of their customers but it is new for a health insurance company to require proof of a healthier lifestyle from their customers. Hmmm... maybe it is time to revisit that New Year's Resolution?
This is perhaps a little long overdue. The fact that group health insurance rates have been less than individual rates might not really have helped reduce the cost of health insurance.
Simply put: Those who buy individual health insurance policies feel a lot more compelled to take active steps to reduce their risk.
Although a lot of folks may frown at this I think it will help keep health care cost at a little more affordable level in the years to come.