There is a fierce debate ensuing about who should pick up the tab, and what is reasonable in terms of penalties. Over the past few weeks there have been a number of new scenarios, which suggest being obese could start to get really expensive.
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1. Workplace penalties. Recently, CVS CareMark sent a letter to employees on its health plan that they need to get a physical, weigh-in, and also have their blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol and blood sugar checked, or pay a $50 penalty per month on their insurance premiums.
There are some patient privacy groups who have criticized this policy as intrusive, but don’t be surprised if you see more companies going down this path. A bulk of an employer’s cost is often spent on conditions related to obesity, including diabetes and high blood pressure. To the extent that they can control costs by encouraging healthier behavior, it’s not only beneficial to them from a cost perspective, but more importantly, ensures employees show up for work and remain productive.
2. Who is paying for excess baggage? With the rising cost of fuel, the impact to airlines in excess weight is not a trivial issue. In fact, an economics professor in Norway proposed certain options
that could be coming in the future: Airline fares could be based on the
actual weight of the passenger, at a fixed rate per pound. Or, there
would be a base-fare for average-weight passengers, with airlines
charging an extra fee for heavier flyers, or offering a refund to
skinnier ones. Another proposed option is that fares would be based on whether people are fat, below or above-average weight. While there is no definitive policy established, it is certainly believable that airlines could ultimately take these options into serious consideration.
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