Health Care Provider Penalizes Fatties

Get fined for fat!

Published on July 31, 2007 By singrdave In Health & Medicine

Fat people will still get health care, but they will be penalized under this new system. As introduced by Clarian Health Partners in Indiana, obese people will be penalized for their "lifestyle choices".

From today's Baltimore Sun:
Looking for new ways to trim the fat and boost workers' health, some employers are starting to make overweight employees pay if they don't slim down. Others, citing growing medical costs tied to obesity, are offering fit workers lucrative incentives that shave thousands of dollars a year off health care premiums.

In one of the boldest moves yet, an Indiana-based hospital chain said last month that it had decided on the stick rather than the carrot. Starting in 2009, Clarian Health Partners said it will charge employees up to $30 every two weeks unless they meet weight, cholesterol and blood pressure guidelines the company deems healthy.

What bothers me about this is that for some, obesity is not a lifestyle choice. It's very difficult for people like me to get skinny and stay skinny. I'm not making excuses -- I belong to a gym which I frequent regularly. And I was in the Army, for crying out loud, where I lost 60 pounds in basic training... and then still struggled to stay within Army fat guidelines. And I have my Lean Cuisine meal waiting for me at lunchtime. So I am very familiar with the struggle with obesity. And I don't think I should get smacked with an additional $60 per month for my health care coverage!

But for a health care company to actually penalize someone for obesity... unfair? Discriminatory?

Comments (Page 4)

singrdave

on Aug 06, 2007

Actually, when I was poorest, I was fittest. Why? Well, a lot of beans and rice, and I walked everywhere I went. When my wife and I were dating, I used to walk 3 or 4 miles to her house every day.
Better than a gym membership, if you ask me.

My mother's riding lawn mower is a lot of fun, but it sure was expensive. Best exercise is the push mower... and so inexpensive!

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!