*I'm lucky in that I enjoy a lot of foods that are considered "healthy". I love salad and eat it pretty much daily, in some form.
*I also like pretty much every fruit and vegetable, with the exception of bell peppers.
*I take a multivitamin, calcium supplement, and Omega-3 supplement daily. If I had to choose just one supplement to take, I would take the Omega-3.
*If I decide to add one supplement to my "regimen" (SNORT), it will be Vitamin D.
*Yesterday I had to run a mile and a half in under 16 minutes. FOR WORK. True story.
*Next week, I have to get my cholesterol, glucose, waist circumference, blood pressure, and body fat checked. FOR WORK.
*If I "pass", I get $300. If I "fail", I have to jump through a bunch of incredibly irritating hoops to stop my health insurance premiums from going up. NO PRESSURE.
*My cholesterol is routinely over 200, due mostly to my HDL, which is typically 75+.
*I also have wicked white coat syndrome when it comes to having my blood pressure taken (AKA NERVOUS TUMMY).
*I'm thinking it's not looking all that good on the $300 thing.
*I find this whole works intensely weird, but I'm not against it. The more you know, and all that.
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22 comments:
I also have wicked white coat syndrome...a few weeks ago at my lovely annual apptmt it was 160/100...NICE!! I actually have a machine at home so I can monitor under "normal" circumstances and then take a chart to the doctor. So unfortunate.
I could NEVER work for your employer...too much pressure to be healthy!
Your company must have the most fit CPAs EVER!
oh man. the majority of my company would fail that test SO HARD. i do sort of like the idea behind it, though.
Well thank GOODNESS that you like fruits and vegetables. It does my hippie heart proud to know that you're not existing SOLELY on SPAM and WHATNOT.
I'm with you on the bell peppers, though.
I think it's not all bad about the workplace health whatever but it somehow seems a little...intrusive in a way, doesn't it? Or is it just me?
It seems more than intrusive to me, it seems discriminatory and probably criminal (which I'm saying cause sometimes I like to stir up trouble). But really – I don't know if it's some Texan thing or whatever but I thought we were supposed to have doctor patient confidentiality?
Workplace health incentives are an interesting idea, but also kind of cruel. ARGH.
I think you would love the "cookbook" called "A Man A Can A Plan" (google it, it exists). It's all about the ghetto meals, from breakfast to dessert. And the book is laminated and board-book style (just like those toddler books), presumably so you don't have to worry about spilling stuff on it.
I eat a raw bell pepper daily. It is the easiest, most delicious vegetable to grab n' go.
Good luck with the fitness test thing. Sounds unnecessarily stressful.
I would completely fail a cholesterol check. Last time I had mine checked it was in the upper 200s. It's genetic, it's not my diet, and yet...whatever, it makes me mad, because the cholesterol isn't the problem. The cholesterol is there to FIX a problem - like fire trucks. I also have extremely low blood pressure, but no one gives me credit for that. Medical jerks. Hope you get the $300.
On the worksite wellness stuff: it IS "discriminatory", in a way, and some people do find it intrusive, but it's perfectly legal, according to a bunch of new ERISA and IRS rulings.
You have always been able to reward people who have better health outcomes, but now you can also PENALIZE those who DON'T, with certain limitations.
Yeah, I was just going to gues it's the insurance company that is engaging in the "fitness" nonsense if it involves your premiums going up. The insurance lobby is ridiculous - I swear virtually anything they feel like doing to raise premiums is legally A OK. Sigh.
Actually, I didn't explain it very well. Our premiums are what they are, it's the EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION towards the total premium (the amount that comes out of our paycheck) that is affected.
So, that is a COMPANY decision, nothing to do with the insurance company. The insurance companies, of course, have ALWAYS been able to change premiums as they see fit based on actuarial risk and claim history.
OMG this is SO BORING! I am SO SORRY YOU GUYS. If it's not obvious, I am, um, INVOLVED in the process.
I am healthy but cannot run fast AT ALL. So 1.5 miles in 16 minutes would just not happen.
I like bell peppers, but not the green ones. And only dipped in bleu cheese dressing.
-R-'s comment made me think that it would be nice if the incentives took different kinds of fitness into account. Like, if you couldn't run FAST, but you could run FAR. I remember my gym teacher telling me that endurance was more health-related than speed was. Of course, I'm slow and steady in addition to being TERRIBLE at sports, so she might have been trying to encourage me to stop "having my period" every single gym class.
I'm glad you explained that it's the employee contribution to the premium that is increasing. It would still piss me off, but at least it's not the true premium going up. (Which it does enough ANY-DAMN-WAY!) Just out of curiosity, how often is this assessed? Yearly, quarterly? If I fail now, how long do I have to pay more until I can have the chance to get it to go back down? (Because there is NO DOUBT that I would fail that sumbitch.)
AND, I'm learning to like salad! Yay me, right?!
Shelly-I'm thinking I should write an (INCREDIBLY BORING) post on this topic, because it's sorta...complicated.
The assessments are annual. Also, even if you "fail", which, let's face it, the majority of people will, you can still get the incentive/avoid the premium increase by participating in other wellness program stuff throughout the year.
The "pass" thing is basically a CLEP-out for the people who are already healthy, as defined by my company.
This is much more in-depth than what our work does.
We have to complete (honor system) three months of health lifestyle changes and get our blood drawn and have a wellness exam. Regardless of the results - if all of it is completed we get $400 off our contribution to health insurance. Next year. When I will probably have moved on to another job. Hrmph.
But - I am kicking ass at the lifestyle changes!
Wow, I would HATE working at your workplace.
Tess - thanks for the explanation. Yes, I would love an incredibly boring post devoted to this topic! (Which I would find FASCINATING!)
Ditto about the blood pressure.
Me too with the blood pressure, but only at our family doctor, not at my OB/GYN. I think that's because I've never waited less than an hour to see my family doctor - I should probably find a new one!
I'd love another post about this too, because I still don't get how your employer is allowed to know your personal private health information.
This would be kind of cool, only because I get competitive and it would force me to exercise and like, care about my health and shit.
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