Comments on: State Health Plan mess gets messier

By: Warning flags for new state health plan — Tuckasegee Reader

Warning flags for new state health plan — Tuckasegee Reader — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:58:10 +0000

[...] Read more here at the NC Policy Watch blog. [...]

By: The Southern Highland Reader » NC state health plan warning flags

The Southern Highland Reader » NC state health plan warning flags — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:55:31 +0000

[...] Read more here at the NC Policy Watch blog. [...]

By: The Progressive Pulse – State Health Plan mess gets messier High just to Me

The Progressive Pulse – State Health Plan mess gets messier High just to Me — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:24:10 +0000

[...] the rest here: The Progressive Pulse – State Health Plan mess gets messier By admin | category: health income insurance low | tags: blue, monthly, serving, spouse, [...]

By: Adam Linker

Adam Linker — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:22:54 +0000

The administration will cost about the same as projected savings. No, the tests aren’t flawless. If you fail the cheek swab test you get — tada! — a blood test. That’s your appeal.

The tests will actually be conducted not by the SHP but by a private company contracting with the SHP.

True, state employees earn health care. And the more we treat employees like recalcitrant children the harder it will be to recruit good people.

By: Randolph Hilter

Randolph Hilter — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:15:03 +0000

How much is it costing to administer these tests? Are the tests flawless? Does a person that doesn’t smoke and tests positive have a hearing? Who hears their cases? How is success measured here? By how many are caught? You have to have real trust in the tester that they are not looking to pad their stats to look good, feel good about that? Think it will be fairly administered and controlled?
State Employees like myself earn health care, it is not a gift.
I choose not to smoke, I enjoy a healthy lifestyle that includes hundreds of hours of exercise, but that is my choice. I fear bottom line health insurance corporations being able to make my choices for me and punish me according to their bottom line. It is sickening that our politicians even considered this intrusion of privacy.
If you are lucky enough to be able bodied, remember, it is only temporary. My uninsured, unemployed friend with MS told me that.

By: Something Clever

Something Clever — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:05:14 +0000

Vic – How is it “going after the employees” by making them pay based on the decisions they make? I agree much more with your statement about letting people who eat right and live in a healthy way get a discount as result. The whole idea of cost sharing has a huge drawback – it removes incentive to take care of yourself. That the world was a place where we didn’t have people who need a financial reason to live healthy, but we must deal with what we have.

Like you said, safe drivers get a discount on auto insurance because they are lower risk. Low risk should give you a discount on health insurance as well.

By: Adam Linker

Adam Linker — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:36:54 +0000

During the task force meeting, Chuck Stone of SEANC asked a reasonable question: If only one member of a family smokes could just that family member have higher cost sharing with hurting the entire family?

The answer is that our enrollment system is not sophisticated enough to handle that. It just shows that these wellness provisions were not well thought out and the legislature did not take time to understand what is most fair and cost effective.

By: Vic

Vic — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:28:47 +0000

Ha, ha! Randolph, i like the “random feats of strength” I can bench press 15 lbs. Will they make me eat protein shakes and forcibly administer steroids?

Ummm, instead of going after the employees, maybe be insurance companies could require that corporations who sell addictive products foot the bill for the deductibles and the co pays. They are legally producing and selling the products that consumers are now being thrashed for using…Tobacco, Big Agribiz, etc… And people who want to shop at Weaver ST. and Whole Foods can get “safe eater” discounts, like car companies do for safe drivers….

I’m just sayin’

By: Vivian

Vivian — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:35:33 +0000

As for money, perhaps people could save more if they weren’t blowing it on tobacco products. They’d be healthier for it in the long run. My mom, who lives in another state, smoked for years and years. She now has emphysema and COPD and is on oxygen 24/7 even though she quit smoking 10 years ago. Wake up people. Tobacco isn’t good for you. It’s unfortunate that the state is resorting to these tactics but I agree with the poster who said that it’s time for folks to take some personal responsibility for their health.

By: Randolph Hilter

Randolph Hilter — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:32:06 +0000

I propose random feats of strength tests, genetic predisposition screenings, family histories checked out, eyesight, hair color, religious and political affiliations, it is all very interesting, very telling of whether certain State Employees are truly worthy of health care. To insure the survival of our beloved SHP do not question or doubt the propriety of of these minor requests. Blind obedience and unquestioning loyalty is what makes us healthy and able to fulfill the our destiny to be a master race of State Employees.