There were two very interesting stories this morning on National Public Radio regarding incentives for people to get and stay healthy. If you’ve followed this blog, I’ve written before about my dismay that the current health reform legislative group grope is not doing anything to tackle health care spending at its core: how to get people to assume responsibility for their health and to make lifestyle choices that will help them stay or become more healthy. Until we change the trajectory of the obesity epidemic to lower health care spending, no insurance reforms will make a shred of difference and the country will end up sick, bankrupt and hopelessly in debt.
Apparently Safeway, the giant grocery store chain, has offered incentives for the last 5 years that directly provide insurance premium discounts to their employees to lower their cholesterol and blood pressure, exercise, lose weight, stop smoking. These are the well-known things that reduce risk factors for preventable diseases. The program has been very successful by all accounts. Employees can save money, the workforce gets healthier, and Safeway’s insurance costs remain steady (even in the face of double digit premium increases every year).
This is such an obvious solution and yet it’s controversial. Major groups such as the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society fear discrimination. Nonsense. Aren’t they more interested in getting people to adopt lifestyle behaviors that might prevent them from getting heart disease and cancer in the first place?
Apparently, there is a “Safeway” amendment offered in the Senate Finance Committee legislation based on the effective model Safeway has created.
Will it survive? I’m sorry to say, but it makes too much sense to survive. What vested interests will benefit from a healthier population? Not insurance companies, so that is probably the death knell right there.
Listen to the story for yourself: http://tinyurl.com/ybgsxbd
Thank goodness we have public radio so that thoughtful, thinking people can try to figure out what is going on away from the bloviating politicians and mindless, right-wing talk show hosts.
I agree with you this “safeway amendment” sounds reasonable. people should definitely be held responsible for their poor choices – smoking, over eating and so on.
It will be argued that poor people don’t have the same choices that wealthy people have. I dispute this argument. The fresh vegetable isles in any grocery store is typically the cheapest section of any grocery store.
I do take issue with your comments about “right wing talk shows.” Some may regret the views of the liberal leaning pontificating public radio show hosts.
I think you would serve your readers better, by encouraging them to listen to the arguments of the left and the right. And sometimes they may be surprised by hearing a very “right wing” message of personal responsibility in health care on a left leaning radio.
Nina, thank you for clarifying the talk radio issue. You are correct, there are extremes on both sides. The sensible middle is what we all collectively need to find as we sort out competing views at both ends of the spectrum. I am surprised and disappointed that there has not been much discussion of personal responsibility in the health care debate although I did hear sound bites yesterday from two Republican Senators making the point. Thanks for your comments.