CVS presses its employees for personal medical information

[garbon]

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2013/03/cvs-employee-medical-information.html

CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) is reportedly asking workers to undergo health screenings to measure weight, body fat and glucose levels, or pay $600 more per year for their health insurance.

The Boston Herald's Christine McConville reports privacy advocates are up in arms – especially over the reported fact that CVS is asking employees to sign a form saying the health screening is voluntary – despite the $600 penalty for refusal.

"Rising health care costs are killing the economy, and businesses are terrified," Patient Privacy Rights founder Dr. Deborah Peel told the Herald. "Now, we're all in this terrible situation where employers are desperate to get rid of workers who have costly health conditions, like obesity and diabetes."

According to the Herald, Rhode Island-based CVS Caremark, which has 200,000 employees, calls the request "a health screening and wellness review so that colleagues know their key health metrics in order to take action to improve their numbers, if necessary."

CVS has reportedly says it will pay for the screenings, which must be undertaken with a physician by May 1. Results will be reported to WebMD Health Services Group, which provides health and benefits management services to CVS.

The Herald reports CVS spokesman Michael D'Angelis offered the following statement: "Our benefits program is evolving to help our colleagues take more responsibility for improving their health and managing health-associated costs."

Our insurance company convinced our company to do something similar with the mention that we might see our premiums drop. I opted out.

[Admiral Yi]

I opted out.

Because of privacy issues, or out of solidarity with the fatties you work with?

Obamacare has heightened the conflict between "social justice" and risk assessment.

[garbon]

Privacy issues - I don't really see much good in sharing that information voluntarily.

[Phillip V]

Health screenings should be normal in all areas of life. A woman will bring her health screening and credit report to our first date.

[MadImmortalMan]

Health screenings should be normal in all areas of life. A woman will bring her health screening and credit report to our first date.

Romantic.

[Valmy]

Health screenings should be normal in all areas of life. A woman will bring her health screening and credit report to our first date.

I am sure eventually you can just pull that information up on your smart phone before deciding to ask her out.

[merithyn]

Our insurance company convinced our company to do something similar with the mention that we might see our premiums drop. I opted out.

Ours took a different tact. If you wanted to do the health screening, you could get a discount. If you opt out, you pay the extra amount. At this point, the results of the health screenings do not factor into how much you pay, ie the 350-pound woman down the row from me could pay less than me if she did the screening and I didn't.

On top of that, every year, if you follow a specific plan as presented online to earn a certain number of points, you get a check at the end of the year. It has things like tracking your food, participating in company-sponsored activities and lectures, etc.

[Admiral Yi]

Ours took a different tact. If you wanted to do the health screening, you could get a discount. If you opt out, you pay the extra amount. At this point, the results of the health screenings do not factor into how much you pay, ie the 350-pound woman down the row from me could pay less than me if she did the screening and I didn't.

This very clearly is a trap.

[CountDeMoney]

Obamacare has heightened the conflict between "social justice" and risk assessment.

Nonsense;  companies started doing stuff like this years ago, and before 2008.

[Admiral Yi]

Nonsense;  companies started doing stuff like this years ago, and before 2008.

They've been doing it as long as insurance has existed.  But only fairly recently has it become a politicized issue.

[merithyn]

Ours took a different tact. If you wanted to do the health screening, you could get a discount. If you opt out, you pay the extra amount. At this point, the results of the health screenings do not factor into how much you pay, ie the 350-pound woman down the row from me could pay less than me if she did the screening and I didn't.

This very clearly is a trap.

[fhdz]

Ours took a different tact. If you wanted to do the health screening, you could get a discount. If you opt out, you pay the extra amount. At this point, the results of the health screenings do not factor into how much you pay, ie the 350-pound woman down the row from me could pay less than me if she did the screening and I didn't.

This very clearly is a trap.