Slashdot Mirror


Charging the Unhealthy More For Insurance

Joe The Dragon sends us a BusinessWeek story, run on Yahoo, about Clarian Health and the new thing they are trying with health insurance coverage for their employees. They are charging unhealthy people more. The article goes into some depth about whether this is a good idea and whether the practice might spread. "In late June, the Indianapolis-based hospital system announced that starting in 2009, it will fine employees $10 per paycheck if their body mass index (BMI, a ratio of height to weight that measures body fat) is over 30. If their cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose levels are too high, they'll be charged $5 for each standard they don't meet. Ditto if they smoke: Starting next year, they'll be charged another $5 in each check."

30 of 1,106 comments (clear)

  1. and if you have a slashdot account by JeanBaptiste · · Score: 5, Funny

    thats another 20

    1. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by Hijacked+Public · · Score: 2, Funny

      On top of the $5 I already paid?

      And my BMI is usually just less than 30. Yet my body fat is around 6%, which is kind of at odds with the summary, but pointing out errors in summaries is kind of boring here.

      Luckily I'm self employed and pay exorbitant rates regardless.

      --
      "Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
    2. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by BSAtHome · · Score: 2, Funny

      So my lifestyle means that I have to pay for my employment? I love collecting unhealthy habbits.

    3. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by PFI_Optix · · Score: 5, Funny

      it's just that the BMI is a pretty useless measure of someone's health.

      Agreed. My BMI is 57, and I feel just fine thank you very much.

      Now help a brotha out...I can't reach the remote and I can't get up off the couch. Could you change it to channel 114 and pass the Doritos?

      --
      120 characters for a sig? That's bloody useless.
    4. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Heck it's hard enough just finding jeans with less waist than length!

    5. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by imamac · · Score: 2, Funny

      We did water displacement in college. Here, strip down and climb into this big tank...

    6. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by Bill+Dog · · Score: 2, Funny

      There's only one solution: Anti-grav boobs.

      --
      Attention zealots and haters: 00100 00100
    7. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      >And if they do normal things like eat healthy and get exorcise

      Cast OUT those DEMONS! Can I get an AMEN?!?

      Louder! The LORD can't HEAR you!

    8. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by CastrTroy · · Score: 4, Funny

      More people use Windows on their home computers. That doesn't mean it's the most reliable operating system. In this case, they use the BMI, because it is quick and cheap, and get's the job done, and be darned with the reliability of the system. Kind of like with Windows.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    9. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by DreamingReal · · Score: 4, Funny

      The demand for medical care is almost infinite. This is not a hypothesis or an ideology, it is an observed fact.

      Since the number of those requesting medical care is most definitely finite I'm not sure how you arrive at infinite demand. Because you insist it is an "observed fact", I have decided to stop reading your post. I suspect you may have need for mental medical care.

      --
      We want some answers and all that we get
      Some kind of shit about a terrorist threat

      - Ministry
    10. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by nacturation · · Score: 3, Funny

      bmi is jacked for many women - and the creator of the scale was pretty up front on that from what i've read. Women are pretty up front too.
      --
      Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
    11. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by Don853 · · Score: 2, Funny

      The wikipedia BMI chart has the metric weight in kilograms (ok), and the imperial weight in fucking stones. Bastards making me do mental arithmetic.

    12. Re:and if you have a slashdot account by Nazlfrag · · Score: 2, Funny

      Fair enough, but I still feel dirty...

  2. Where will this madness end? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Charging drivers with more accidents higher rates for auto insurance?

    1. Re:Where will this madness end? by rakslice · · Score: 4, Funny

      Remember, a highly skilled worker is just one head injury away from being an unskilled worker.

  3. Form of Discrimination? by deadmantyping · · Score: 5, Funny

    That sounds like it could be considered a form of discrimination. I doubt that obese people would take this move lightly.

    1. Re:Form of Discrimination? by An+ominous+Cow+art · · Score: 3, Funny

      I hire a lawyer and beat them Is that legal now?!?!?!
  4. Re:What's the problem? by Joebert · · Score: 5, Funny

    Agreed, & I have a solution.

    We should gather every employee in a room & stand them on a table one-by-one, if the majority of the room thinks that person is a fat bastard, that person gets charged more.

    --
    Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
  5. Re:Slow news day? by lymond01 · · Score: 4, Funny

    What about sexually promiscuous employees, or employees that like skydiving or downhill skiing? What about employees that pop too many aspirin, or employees with physically abusive spouses? What about those employees with genetic predispositions to any number of chronic (read: EXPENSIVE) diseases, who have thus far been lucky enough not to come down with them (so far)?

    World wasn't invented in a day, boy. Simmer down. They'll get to it.

  6. Re:What's the problem? by internetcommie · · Score: 2, Funny

    So all pointy-haired bosses would pay a higher rate regardless of BMI and bodyfat, while the non-bastard fatsos are let off.
    Sounds fair to me!

  7. Re:What's the problem? by Joebert · · Score: 2, Funny

    So all pointy-haired bosses would pay a higher rate regardless of BMI and bodyfat, while the non-bastard fatsos are let off. Sounds fair to me!


    Bosses are exempt, if you have a problem with that you should have majored in Business instead of Programming.
    --
    Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
  8. Re:Charge vegetarians less? by operagost · · Score: 2, Funny

    I didn't realize there was so much red meat in cola. Or that fish was a vegetable!

    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  9. Re:because averages are good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Sarcasm should be banned. It's just so frustrating in text."

    I agree 100%!

  10. Re:Charge vegetarians less? by Asmor · · Score: 4, Funny

    or be hit by lighting God, I HATE those damn low-hung fluorescent tubes they hang all over the jogging paths.
  11. Re:Charge vegetarians less? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    And, for every chicken you don't eat, I'm going to pay KFC to violently debeak three.

  12. Great idea! by HangingChad · · Score: 5, Funny

    We should gather every employee in a room & stand them on a table one-by-one...

    Yeah! We could hire people the same way. Let different departments bid on them. Make them take their shirts off and show their teeth so you know they're nice and healthy. And, just for their safety and protection, we might want to chain them together, so they don't get scared and fall off the table. And maybe a small but tasteful whip, strictly to make sure things move along and people don't waste all day bidding on new employees. And make them sing worker songs, because people really like that. Swiiiing low, sweet cub-i-cle wor-ker...headed for the break room at niiiiiine. That's my favorite.

    Dang, it seems so obvious. Why hasn't anyone thought of that before?

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
  13. I knew that would come in handy.... by Chmcginn · · Score: 4, Funny

    You never thought that experience from Obfuscated C contests would be a good thing, did you?

    --
    Have you been touched by his noodly appendage?
  14. Re:Too much work is the problem. by zegota · · Score: 3, Funny

    Probably because you weren't at work, you lazy bum!

  15. Re:you're making a joke but by JazzLad · · Score: 5, Funny

    But what you don't see is your lack of buoyancy increases your risk of drowning - why should a healthy tub-o like me have to pay for that? ;)

    --
    "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." - Every fascist, ever
  16. Re:depends on definitions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I'm not either, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.