Just found out what my one health "insurance" choice will be

[mdmc]

MVP..
All other choices were too expensive for my company to consider. MVP was willing to give discounts if workers "jumped through hoops" to improve their health. If you didn't jump through a hoop, you face a 25% out of paycheck increase for healthcare. If you jumped through all 4 hoops, you face a 5% increase..

The other companies (HIP, Emblem, and I forgot what our old fourth option was) all had increases between 11 and 25%; none of them offered discounts to jump through hoops.

The rep talked about the health insurance reform bill - he said there were pros and cons..
Pros - you get to keep your kids on your plan until they are 26
Cons - you can't buy OTC meds on your pre-tax benefit care..

[AndyTiedye]

1. What Sorta Hoops?

[mdmc]

2. there were 4

take a stop smoking course
give blood - "biometric screening" (weight, height, blood pressure)
exercise (track activity for 6 weeks on a web site)
(there is one more and I don't remember what it was..

[tridim]

3. That's actually really cool, and a hell of an idea.

It'll positively benefit the patient and the company.

Preventative health measures (like the blood screenings) will also be free, with no co-pay, thanks to HCR!

[AndyTiedye]

4. Can You Just Get the Discount Without Jumping Through Hoops If You're in Decent Shape Already?

> take a stop smoking course

Only if you are currently a smoker, I hope!

> give blood -

Getting a discount for doing that seems entirely fair.

> "biometric screening" (weight, height, blood pressure)

Some of them seem to rely overmuch on Body Mass Index (BMI),
which makes no distinction between fat and muscle.

> exercise (track activity for 6 weeks on a web site)

As long as they don't succumb to the foolish notion that exercise only counts if it is done in a gym.

Would they be OK with stuff like:

"walk 3/4 mile to pick up groceries, and 3/4 mile back with the groceries."
(It's a nice walk through the woods)

"danced for about 20 out of the past 26 hours to raging psytrance at Goa Gil's birthday party"
(last weekend) :)

Would they even bother asking me with a BMI of 24.9 (very little of which is actually fat)?

I am fine with incentives to exercise, as long as they don't attempt to dictate what form it takes.

[mdmc]

7. most of the hoops were just tracking, not doing

for instance, the exercise requirement -
you had to track your activity on a web site.
so if you walked for 30 minutes, you would enter 30 minutes of moderate activity onto the web page..

[SoCalDem]

5. I did not know there was any plan that covered OTC meds.

At least we have never had one in the 40 years we have had health care insurance

[mdmc]

6. no - this is to use a pre tax account to buy OTC meds

I have a pre-tax medical account - I put 2000k per year in and use that for my medical expenses (co-pays, yadda yadda)..

[SoCalDem]

9. Oh..an MSA.

I did not understand at first..thanks..

[Vinca]

8. People should not have to "jump through hoops" for affordable health care.

[mdmc]

10. 1