One of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains is asking its workers how fat they are and plan to give the information to their insurance provider. CVS says workers who use its health insurance plan need to have a doctor determine their height, weight, body fat and blood pressure or pay a $600 annual penalty. The company is launching the program in anticipation of rising health care costs.
When President Barack Obama’s health care reform law kicks in next year, it will allow employers to levy a penalty against workers who don’t take part in company wellness programs.
Read more here.
2 Comments to “CVS Asks Workers their Weight & Other Medical Info”
March 20, 2013 at 6:39 PM
I'm mixed on this topic. In my opinion, companies ought to be able to hire and retain people who are able to handle the tasks necessary for positions without discrimination or invasion of basic privacy.
The military is one example of necessary expectations like this. But there is a dangerous problem of interpretation.
For example, right now there is a vendetta against smokers across the country. Is it any business of an employer if anyone smokes? Why stop there? Alcohol causes many sick days, too. We already know the stance of drugs…illegal ones are the ones targeted.
Are DNA samples going to be used for employment in the future? Psychoanalysis is sometimes used. You can find SOMETHING wrong with EVERYONE.