"Wellness," part 1

[servant_of_clio]

My employer announced a new wellness initiative at the end of last year. If we signed up for an exciting! new! wellness! screening opportunity, our insurance premiums would stay the same. Otherwise they would go up $300

Comments

[naomikritzer]

I had that same questionnaire

[naomikritzer]

Also, FWIW, the 10,000 Steps program includes a "conversion" feature where you can convert various other activities into steps. (Which is how I wound up with over 24,000 steps on Saturday! Two hours of slow cross-country skiing!) This includes activities like swimming and biking, but it also includes things like vacuuming, snow shoveling, gardening, stacking firewood, etc. So if your regular daily activities are physical you do get "credit" for that in the actual wellness program, even if they are largely overlooked in the questionnaire.

[servant_of_clio]

My questionnaire didn't show me any information on specific exercise programs. We are getting the screening, and then personalized letters telling us what to do to improve our personal wellness. I predict right now that I will be told to lose weight and exercise more. I strongly suspect that next year will come a more involved set of of wellness options.

[naomikritzer]

So, wait, they're screening you in order to lecture you?!??

That is DUMB.

Sheesh.

We get a selection of "programs" to choose from and they customize based on how you answer your questionnaire. Like, if you're a smoker you'd get offer a quit-smoking program, but you wouldn't get this if you're a nonsmoker; if you're at high risk of developing diabetes you might get a class on reducing your diabetes risk as an option, but if you're not at high risk you wouldn't. I think they offer 10,000 steps and the healthy habits one to everyone.

[servant_of_clio]

This is totally some sort of boondoggle deal the college made with our insurance provider to keep our premiums lower.