Workplace Wellness Program - Am I being paranoid, overly cautious, or just silly?

[Golgatha]

So we have this wellness thing at work. You go Online, answer a bunch of health questions, and then they give you automated advice. They also recommend you some outside programs, which require you to share data with, "our affiliates, third parties who provide services, etc, etc" via a checkbox and click submit dialog. The only carrot for doing this is a $50 gift card. I decided to close the webpage and forgo the $50 gift card, effectively not opting into their wellness program past the original questioning.

Now part of me thinks this is a good way for them to cut costs by getting their customers healthy. The other part of me thinks they will use my health information to determine premiums for insurance, loan rates, etc with their affiliates and that they really have no business whatsoever knowing such personal information on myself. Also I fear they could use my information later down the road to deny benefits, sue me, etc.

So, am I just a frantic, paranoid freak, or do you think there's some merit to my paranoia? Discuss.

 

[lothar]

Only for $50? Not worth it at that price. Is this an online thing where you fill out yourself or is it something that actually requires the signature of the healthcare provider? Based on what you described, it seems that you're the one responsible for logging in your own fake/random numbers, and does not require any sort of verification or health provider signature.

However some Workplace Wellness Programs offer $500-1k reimbursement for completing such questions/programs that can be used towards deductibles and copays.

 

[Golgatha]

Only for $50? Not worth it at that price. Is this an online thing where you fill out yourself or is it something that actually requires the signature of the healthcare provider? Based on what you described, it seems that you're the one responsible for logging in your own fake/random numbers, and does not require any sort of verification or health provider signature.

However some Workplace Wellness Programs offer $500-1k reimbursement for completing such questions/programs that can be used towards deductibles and copays.

You fill it out yourself. You must login to the website with a unique username and password. It's through Aetna and the $50 benefit is sponsored by my company's plan. I figured for $50 it's not worth the hassle. I'm in very good shape, fairly young (age 35), exercise regularly, don't smoke, and really don't see anything health related they can assist me with or that I don't already realize/know.

 

[FleshLight]

You don't have to tell the truth

 

[Golgatha]

You don't have to tell the truth

Paranoia - If I lie on the forms, they could use that information in court on a denial of benefits suit to show what I say often isn't true.

Generally I like to tell the truth. It's also easier because you don't have to remember what you said previously ever.

 

[lothar]

You fill it out yourself. You must login to the website with a unique username and password. It's through Aetna and the $50 benefit is sponsored by my company's plan. I figured for $50 it's not worth the hassle. I'm in very good shape, fairly young (age 35), exercise regularly, don't smoke, and really don't see anything health related they can assist me with or that I don't already realize/know.

What is stopping employees from filling them out with false information for $50 if they're the one that fill it out themselves?

 

[OutHouse]

The only carrot for doing this is a $50 gift card. I decided to close the webpage and forgo the $50 gift card, effectively not opting into their wellness program past the original questioning.

you are lucky, my company has the same crap. we have to to reach 1000 points each year by doing a personal fitness assessment, take online classes on how to be healthy, use a pedometer to log how much we walk and other programs they have... if we don't reach the 1000 points we are fined $350 bucks.

 

[Ns1]

"Am I being paranoid, overly cautious, or just silly?"

where's the option for all of the above?

 

[lothar]

you are lucky, my company has the same crap. we have to to reach 1000 points each year by doing a personal fitness assessment, take online classes on how to be healthy, use a pedometer to log how much we walk and other programs they have... if we don't reach the 1000 points we are fined $350 bucks.

What the heck? So they deduct this from your paycheck?

 

[midwestfisherman]

Yes!

 

[AMDZen]

You are not being paranoid

Fuck that nonsense for $50

 

[Golgatha]

you are lucky, my company has the same crap. we have to to reach 1000 points each year by doing a personal fitness assessment, take online classes on how to be healthy, use a pedometer to log how much we walk and other programs they have... if we don't reach the 1000 points we are fined $350 bucks.

Oh man, that sucks. I wouldn't have a problem with the exercising bit, but that seems a bit Orwellian on your employer's part.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

This is what happens when the employer has a financial interest in your health. Imagine what will happen once congress does...

 

[alkemyst]

Wellness exams save the company money actually (when you have large group plans a lot of money).

Most health issues that are costly, can be easily prevented/fixed with an annual wellness exam (which most large group plans cover at 100%).

For many $50 is a lot of money. For some companies they raise it to $75, $100, $200, etc.

In the end, if people participate it keeps healthcare costs stable year to year more or less.

There is no secret sauce in this endeavor. It has nothing to do with "ObamaCare" either, yet I have heard this now from the whole "Wellness" exam thing.

In the end, people are their own enemy.

Most of the time those third party, etc have more verbiage as to "concerning your healthcare and only affiliates for those companies"

 

[alkemyst]

you are lucky, my company has the same crap. we have to to reach 1000 points each year by doing a personal fitness assessment, take online classes on how to be healthy, use a pedometer to log how much we walk and other programs they have... if we don't reach the 1000 points we are fined $350 bucks.

I don't think you know what the meaning of FINED is.