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Many workplaces have what is called a "wellness annual/biannual check".......if you want to receive your insurance that is contractually given to you, you must submit and pass these checks, and, if not passed, at worst, you actually lose said insurance or get fired, or,at best, your out-of-pocket costs will go far higher.....if you are lucky enough to keep your policy at all...
You MUST submit to an examination to maintain qualification for your insurance....this is far more than a urine test.......
As follows...
Blood test to look for ALL your body markers that could indicate something aforesaid insurance would possibly have to pay for(including pre-existing conditions, as well as general indications of illness or poor health)....
The classic finger up the butt(anal probe with finger)
For females, if necessary, vaginal probes, especially after 40
And that's not all.....you MUST follow up with the prescribed "treatment".......
You don't have to walk around with a fitbit like an ankle bracelet necessarily, but you will be monitored to make sure you take your meds and do what you are told, and your body will be probed in later tests to vouchsafe you are "doing the right thing"....
If not, again, at the very least, your out-of-pocket will skyrocket, and at worst, you can be fired on some obviously "other" pretext, though it actually is from fear of paying out money for Type 2 Diabetes or other costly problems.....
Some people recently have actually lost their jobs just for not submitting to "wellness tests"
Here is a bit about lawsuits per these "Wellness Tests" breaching constitutional freedoms to privacy...
I get the points that it is a good thing to be healthy, but, the point is, companies are probing and having access to all your bodies information(infinitely more than urine), and can use that against you, not to mention you have zero control over what they do or who they share this with....
I really feel for all of you in this generation, this is something that I would never have even thought of. I never dreamed life/society would be what it is now back when I was growing up and as a young adult. This is absurd. I still have a problem with nosiness/credit checks for employment, insurance purposes, new utilities accounts, and whatever else a credit check is done for except extending credit. I am so blessed that I do not have to go through what you all are having to go through in your work lives. I also have a big problem with those pre-employment personality exams. I did not take one (just didn't do it) when I applied for a retail position at holiday time 2 years ago, and still got the job.
Last edited by Lodestar 77; 11-13-2014 at 07:58 PM..
Reason: Added more comments.
I can't read the article because I'm not registered and don't wish to. But by the headline, it appears to be a singular company that has done this that is going to be penalized for doing so. Do you have any (accessible) sources stating that this is a widespread problem? I mean, given the pictures you took the time to include, you clearly are going for shock value, I get it. But could we not be so dramatic and discuss actual facts?
I can't read the article because I'm not registered and don't wish to. But by the headline, it appears to be a singular company that has done this that is going to be penalized for doing so. Do you have any (accessible) sources stating that this is a widespread problem? I mean, given the pictures you took the time to include, you clearly are going for shock value, I get it. But could we not be so dramatic and discuss actual facts?
Here's a quote from the article that sums it up pretty well, I think...
Quote:
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing another company with the charge its wellness program violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The company, Baraboo, Wisconsin-based Flambeau Inc., a plastics manufacturing company, has denied the charge it violated the ADA and said it plans to defend itself against the suit.
The agency said Wednesday that Flambeau violated the ADA by requiring an employee to submit to medical testing and assessment in connection with its wellness program “or face dire consequences.â€
The EEOC said the wellness program required that employees submit to biometric testing and a health risk assessment or face cancellation of medical insurance, unspecified disciplinary action for failing to attend the scheduled testing, and a requirement to pay the full premium in order to stay covered if they didn't submit.
The agency said when employee Dale Arnold did not complete the biometric testing and health risk assessment, Flambeau cancelled his medical insurance and shifted responsibility for payment of the entire premium to him.
It said employees who had taken the testing and assessment, by comparison, did not have their coverage cancelled involuntarily, and were required to pay only 25% of their premium costs....
In August, the EEOC filed suit against a Wisconsin energy company for allegedly violating the ADA, charging that it shifted responsibility for paying health care premiums to an employee who refused to participate in its wellness program, then fired her.
I can't read the article because I'm not registered and don't wish to. But by the headline, it appears to be a singular company that has done this that is going to be penalized for doing so. Do you have any (accessible) sources stating that this is a widespread problem? I mean, given the pictures you took the time to include, you clearly are going for shock value, I get it. But could we not be so dramatic and discuss actual facts?
My SO just had a wellness test at work. It was just a cholesterol, blood sugar, and heart rate check. Its not required, but they do get some sort of incentive to take it... I forget what. He wouldn't loose his job or his insurance if he didn't take it. He also has co workers who are unhealthy and fail the Christian e co every year. Nothing happens to them, except for the doctor telling them to see their regular doctor. No pills/treatments are prescribed, and no recyclable done. My SO always does it just because it's done during work hours, so it's a little break from the job.
There is no anal probes or vaginal probes. Just a prick on the finger.
My SO just had a wellness test at work. It was just a cholesterol, blood sugar, and heart rate check. Its not required, but they do get some sort of incentive to take it... I forget what. He wouldn't loose his job or his insurance if he didn't take it. He also has co workers who are unhealthy and fail the Christian e co every year. Nothing happens to them, except for the doctor telling them to see their regular doctor. No pills/treatments are prescribed, and no recyclable done. My SO always does it just because it's done during work hours, so it's a little break from the job.
There is no anal probes or vaginal probes. Just a prick on the finger.
Yep. That's the way my company does it as well. Blood pressure, finger stick, weight ... that's pretty much it. It's voluntary, and there are no repercussions if you don't participate. Of course the company has a vested interest in encouraging healthy employees. It keeps insurance rates down and reduces sick leave.
OP just seems to want to over dramatize something that is being reported about one or two companies. Making it a much bigger deal than it really is.
It would be great if employers would just divest themselves from anything to do with medical insurance; this is one of the most idiotic social set ups ever thought of.
It would be great if employers would just divest themselves from anything to do with medical insurance; this is one of the most idiotic social set ups ever thought of.
It's interesting to consider how we fell into this tar pit in the first place. Employer-provided health insurance dates back all the way to the tight labor market during World War II, when many employers desperate to fill positions began offering it as a benefit in order to get around the wartime wage and price controls. Shortly after the war ended, Truman tried to eliminate it by proposing a national health insurance program, but it was shot down by the Republicans and the American Medical Association. "Socialism," they shouted.
Organized labor came down in favor of the employer-sponsored system, even though they didn't like it, because they didn't think Truman and the Democrats had the political capital to push it through and they were afraid that if they went all-or-nothing and lost, their workers would be left without any health insurance options at all. So even though the idea was very popular with the public at large, the opportunity was lost, and 70 years later we're still crippled by this ridiculous, bloated, unfixable monstrosity.
The only hope I see is that as the Affordable Health Care Act continues to self-destruct, single-payer universal heath care will ultimately be the only possible solution. That will be the death knell of the employee-sponsored system, and it can't come soon enough as far as I'm concerned.
Last edited by Mr. In-Between; 11-13-2014 at 10:25 PM..
OP just seems to want to over dramatize something that is being reported about one or two companies. Making it a much bigger deal than it really is.
Apparently we have a CD poster who's moonlighting as a shrink. Anyone who's missed the many articles and features on this issue which have appeared in business and mainstream publications over the past few years should be able to conduct a simple search to "catch up" on current events. Here's a starting point: "mandatory employee health screenings."
Yep. That's the way my company does it as well. Blood pressure, finger stick, weight ... that's pretty much it. It's voluntary, and there are no repercussions if you don't participate. Of course the company has a vested interest in encouraging healthy employees. It keeps insurance rates down and reduces sick leave.
OP just seems to want to over dramatize something that is being reported about one or two companies. Making it a much bigger deal than it really is.
We do a Wellness Program that is through each employees personal Doctor/ Clinic of choice.
It's also called "voluntary" and covers Blood Pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides, and BMI.
If you don't participate your premium (w/spouse on policy) runs you an extra $2000. per year.
There are repercussions here in my case. Your spouse must also submit to this Program also.
If one or the other of the two does not participate you are charged the higher rate.
I don't see the OP being "dramatic" in this subject at all.
There are more companies doing this than you think.
Last edited by bluesjuke; 11-14-2014 at 03:26 AM..
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