Post by mrsukyankee on Dec 10, 2015 12:45:51 GMT -5
Several readers have alerted us to a new program whereby Whole Foods will offer steeper employee discounts to people with lower BMIs. Exactly how little they have to weigh to pay only $37 per organic oyster mushroom, after the jump.
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey explains the program in a letter, reproduced below. Apparently it's part of an initiative to reduce health care costs, which is interesting since Mackey is against the health care reforms that would actually reduce costs for all people.
Note that Mackey knows BMI isn't a perfect measure of health, but at least it's cheap! Even more fun, though, is the poster for the new Healthy Discount program, breaking down exactly what BMI range his minions need in order to get various discounts on his Tofu Pups.
If your BMI is above 30, you'll get to keep the original 20% employee discount, but you'll paying more than your thinner co-workers, who can knock as much as 30% off. Because if public health research has taught us anything, it's that reducing people's buying power totally makes them healthier. Stay classy, Whole Foods.
Post by iammalcolmx on Dec 10, 2015 12:54:23 GMT -5
We give a Wellness discount as well but have different criteria. This is their way of charging employees more who statistically cost more when it comes to claims. Do spouses also have to follow this to get the discount?
Post by StrawberryBlondie on Dec 10, 2015 13:31:58 GMT -5
Honestly, I hate this type of thing. We have a health insurance incentive here if you go through a wellness screening. One part of that is belly circumference. There is no "pregnant" box to check or anything. So if you do it while pregnant you end up in a very bad bucket.
Post by lissaholly on Dec 10, 2015 13:36:53 GMT -5
This comes off as punishment more than incentive. And this seems like a Logistical nightmare. What's going to stop people from borrowing someone else's employee discount? How often are they going to retest the BMI? Are they going to watch when people gain weight/ bad choices?
Because if public health research has taught us anything, it's that reducing people's buying power totally makes them healthier. Stay classy, Whole Foods.
These lines are perfection, & nailed what I was internally screaming as reading.
Honestly, I hate this type of thing. We have a health insurance incentive here if you go through a wellness screening. One part of that is belly circumference. There is no "pregnant" box to check or anything. So if you do it while pregnant you end up in a very bad bucket.
I was so annoyed during my preemployment physical that they used my weight to calculate my BMI and categorize me. I was pregnant!!! Joke was on them. I used my 40 week pregnancy weight to get a monetary reward for losing weight a few months later.
Post by imojoebunny on Dec 10, 2015 13:42:50 GMT -5
We get $200 a year for doing a wellness check, it is 5 things, like waist circumference, Cholesterol, and BP. It is pretty quick and easy to do at a lab. If you get more than 2 areas of concern, you have to have 3 calls with a wellness expert to get the $200. I think that is reasonable, since people can still get it, even if they do not meet the criteria. DH had one coworker who was identified by the screening as needing immediate open heart surgery, which likely prevented a heart attack, so it is not all bad.
BMI alone, as a measure of health, is bullship, IMO, and probably a racist/socio economic measure, too, since Black and lower income people are statistically more likely to be overweight in the US. I have seen a study lately that people who are slightly overweight actually live longer. Here is an article that references the study.
Honestly, I hate this type of thing. We have a health insurance incentive here if you go through a wellness screening. One part of that is belly circumference. There is no "pregnant" box to check or anything. So if you do it while pregnant you end up in a very bad bucket.
I was so annoyed during my preemployment physical that they used my weight to calculate my BMI and categorize me. I was pregnant!!! Joke was on them. I used my 40 week pregnancy weight to get a monetary reward for losing weight a few months later.
I'm pretty sure ours has a BMI too. I've been boycotting it ever since the pregnancy incident.
Wouldn't this have the impact of coworkers knowing health information, since they're the ones ringing you up?
Yes this is terrible.
That was my first thought too. My company has discounts for health insurance premiums for meeting 5 biometrics values, but, my coworkers don't see my results when I flash a card at them so I can buy organic milk.
I stopped voluntarily giving my health information to my employer fora monetary reward. It started to feel invasive to me.
What were they asking for? We ask people to do Health Risk Assessments but don't look at the results. We get a notification from our Health Provider is has been completed and that is it.
Ive always had a very low bmi. To the point of my school sending notices to patents and teachers. I'm not healthy according to every other standard. This is bullshit.
I stopped voluntarily giving my health information to my employer fora monetary reward. It started to feel invasive to me.
What were they asking for? We ask people to do Health Risk Assessments but don't look at the results. We get a notification from our Health Provider is has been completed and that is it.
They ask for blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and similar. It's voluntary and on a scale, so I just fill out (and get paid for) what I'm comfortable sharing--which is that I went to the dentist and use a seatbelt.
I've gotten a bit squirrelly about my medical privacy in the past 2 years. I don't think others find it as invasive.
I joined a wellness program for cheaper co-pays. I had to complete an online questionnaire and at the end it tells you how healthy you are. It basically told me I was gonna lapse into a coma. That felt great - all to save $5 per office visit.
I'm not even going to get in to how much I hate BMI. I think this program sucks.
We get an insurance discount if we do a yearly health screening. One year they did a waist circumference measurement. They measured my hips. Uhhh...
I had this happen a couple years and the person measuring was like "Does XX inches sound right?" And I was like "IDK, but that tape is literally touching my butt, so I'm guessing not."
I really hate this. You *know* that BMI is not a valid indicator, and yet you still use it to make some of your employees feel excluded. Because it's cheap and easy.
The furthest I'd be willing to go is to give a bigger discount to employees who are willing to get the screenings, not actually share any of the values with their employer. What you do with your results should be between you and your doctor.
My company insurance incentive program allows to earn points to use towards in reduction in our health insurance premiums. You can earn a lot of points at once by doing the health screening, or earn a smaller number of points by doing other activities like working out for 30 minutes a day. I'm too lazy to input the information, and it's a bit intrusive. I just sync my workouts.
Post by notsocreepylurker on Dec 10, 2015 17:31:52 GMT -5
My company does the $240 off next year's premiums for doing the biometric screening (weight, height, BP, cholesterol & blood sugar) and another $240 if you fill out the questionnaire. I am OK with this for now but would not be OK with what Whole Foods is doing.