Obamacare Wellness Programs Good but Illegal?

[Cow Poke]

One of the 'good' things about Obamacare is "wellness". Your company should have a program to encourage smokers to quit smoking, fat people to lose weight, unhealthy people to get healthy, but be prepared to be sued!

Source: YahooNews

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Leading U.S. CEOs, angered by the Obama administration's challenge to certain "workplace wellness" programs, are threatening to side with anti-Obamacare forces unless the government backs off, according to people familiar with the matter.

Major U.S. corporations have broadly supported President Barack Obama's healthcare reform despite concerns over several of its elements, largely because it included provisions encouraging the wellness programs.

The programs aim to control healthcare costs by reducing smoking, obesity, hypertension and other risk factors that can lead to expensive illnesses. A bipartisan provision in the 2010 healthcare reform law allows employers to reward workers who participate and penalize those who don't.

But recent lawsuits filed by the administration's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), challenging the programs at Honeywell International and two smaller companies, have thrown the future of that part of Obamacare into doubt.

The lawsuits infuriated some large employers so much that they are considering aligning themselves with Obama's opponents, according to people familiar with the executives' thinking.

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[Jedidiah]

Looks like the program was put together with intentionally unnecessary aspects. Forced medical test? Pretty obvious that this would cause heartburn along the way.

[Littlejoe]

My company has a biometric test exam that everyone must pass. You have to pass at least 3 of the 5 criteria (at this time) or you are penalized with a surcharge of $45 a month on your ins. premiums. Now our insurance company itself has a "Life Coach" program if you call them 3 or 4 or 5 times and set goals and reach them, then they will send you $200 back at the end of the year. I've never done that...but I should. Thank goodness my wife and I passed the bio or it would have cost us an extra $90 a month for ins.

[Epoetker]

I smell disparate impact on a Favored Voting Bloc.

[Catholicity]

Well it is discrimination under the EOE