Patient Advocates Warn Against Penalties in Wellness Programs
A wide range of patient and consumer advocates came together to urge the secretaries of HHS, Labor, and the Treasury to protect patients against discrimination in employer wellness programs. Health reform legislation allows employers to offer incentives in wellness programs that could range up to 50% of the cost of health care coverage.
Ted Kyle, Chair of the Obesity Society Advocacy Committee, served on an expert panel on what works and what doesn’t for employee wellness programs. Kyle pointed out, “Setting arbitrary BMI goals doesn’t work in wellness programs relating to obesity. What’s needed is access to effective treatment and a focus on longer-term (longer than six month) outcomes.”
For more information, see…
http://www.stopobesityalliance.org/blog/caution-don%E2%80%99t-penalize-employees-with-obesity/
and…
