A.H. Belo to employees: You’ll pay for not leading a healthy lifestyle

[Newsjock]

http://jimromenesko.com/2013/09/05/a-h-belo-to-employees-youll-pay-for-not-leading-a-healthy-lifestyle/

A journalist who works for A.H. Belo — owner of the Dallas Morning News, Providence Journal and other publications — tells Romenesko readers: “I wanted to pass along this health benefits letter AH Belo employees received yesterday requiring biometric screenings. Next year employees will have to pass three out of five unspecified health goals or pay a $150 (per month?) surcharge.”

... We realize the daily demands of life and work can make it hard to live a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes knowledge is half the battle – if you know your personal health risks, you can make changes to improve your health. If each of us improves our health – or reduces our risk – we all win by having improved long-term health as well as lower claim costs.
To that end, we implemented a biometric screening requirement in 2013 for all employees and their spouses/domestic partners enrolled in the Company medical plan. To avoid a $100 per person surcharge in 2014, enrolled employees and their covered spouses/ domestic partners must complete their biometric screening through Quest Diagnostic no later than September 30, 2013. The $75 per month per person tobacco use (nicotine) surcharge will also apply if you do not complete the biometric screening to confirm no tobacco use. Newly eligible enrolled participants must have this screening within two months of becoming enrolled in the medical plan.

In 2014, we will again require biometric screenings; however, the scope of the biometric screening will change. To avoid a surcharge in 2015, enrolled employees and their covered spouses/domestic partners must take the biometric screening in 2014 through Quest Diagnostic and pass three of five risk factors.

[highmindedhavi]

1. more here

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/columnists/jim-landers/20130826-landers-for-those-who-want-to-skip-the-checkup-i-dont-care-health-insurance.ece|

[Blue_Tires]

2. I worked for Belo in a past life, and they were shits back then...

But this goes way beyond the pale...

[kestrel91316]

3. They don't bother to name IN ADVANCE the 5 biometric screening tests that people will need to pass

so they can work on them before they get tested?? That's going to end well.

Tell people what tests they are going to be subjected to, people, so they can adjust their lifestyles accordingly before they are at risk of failing and being charged.

[Bake]

4. That's the whole point. They WANT them to be charged.

Bake

[JHB]

5. I notice it doesn't say where these surcharges go.

Reading the full text, it's talked about separately from the health plans the company offers, so it doesn't appear to be part of those plans. And if not, who gets the money? The company?