State Workers Who Smoke Or Are Obese To Pay More For Heath Insurance
The state is notifying its employees this month that if they are obese or smoke they will pay more for health insurance.
The state hopes employees will change their lifestyles. And that it will lead to savings in the state health plan.
The state spends $2.4 billion a year on medical care for about 650,000 employees. That increases by 8 to 10 percent a year, according to Lacey Barnes, Deputy Executive Administrator for the North Carolina State Health Plan.
About a third of state workers are overweight. About 14 percent smoke, according to Barnes.
“Research indicates that smoking, the use of tobacco products, and obesity are two conditions that do result in higher health care costs,” she said.
So the state is trying something new.
It will force employees who smoke to pay about ten percent more for health insurance than other workers, unless they enroll in a program to quit smoking.
State workers who have a body mass index of 40 or higher will also pay ten percent more than other workers, unless they sign up for a program to lose weight.
The state will do random checks on people who say they are not smokers. They are still working out how to monitor weight.
“You should be willing to pay more for your insurance if you’re going to leave yourself in poor physical condition without doing anything about it,” said state worker Buddy West.
But not everyone is happy about the plan.
“This so called wellness initiative doesn’t make them feel good about going to work. It’s invasive. The testing is humiliating. And no other state really does this to this extent,” said Erica Baldwin with the State Employees Association of North Carolina, which represents 55,000 workers.
State worker Macy Hartsfield said, “it’s going to be hard for a lot of people, especially if you would have to join some type of work out facility. That is a cost.”
The state is expanding free programs to help workers quit smoking and lose weight.
Workers who smoke will start paying more for health care in 2010. Those who are obese will start paying more in 2011. There are exceptions for people with medical conditions that do not allow them to lose weight.
North Carolina is only the second state to charge obese employees more for health insurance.
