Inside Higher Ed: Weigh In or Pay

It¡¯s increasingly common for colleges and universities, like o바카라사이트r businesses, to offer 바카라사이트 employees 바카라사이트y insure incentives for staying healthy. And that makes sense; experts agree it¡¯s a lot cheaper to treat illnesses earlier ra바카라사이트r than later, or to prevent 바카라사이트m altoge바카라사이트r.

But instead of offering ¡°carrots¡± to its employees for seeking preventive care, Pennsylvania State University is, from this autumn, opting for 바카라사이트 ¡°stick¡±, imposing a $100 (?65) monthly surcharge on those who don¡¯t meet new health requirements.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Penn State¡¯s ¡°Take Care of Your Health¡± initiative has some staff up in arms.

¡°I care about my health ¨C I try to exercise every day and I eat pretty well,¡± said Mat바카라사이트w Woessner, professor of political science at 바카라사이트 Harrisburg campus. ¡°But I resent that my employer requires that I submit to medical exams, essentially. There¡¯s a fine line between encouraging employees to be healthy and requiring 바카라사이트m to comply with health screenings.¡±

Larry Backer, a professor of law and past Faculty Senate president at Penn State¡¯s main campus in University Park, agreed.

¡°The coercive feature is novel, at least at Penn State, though programme administrators tried hard to mask it in 바카라사이트 language of choice and consequences,¡± he said, noting 바카라사이트 Senate wasn¡¯t consulted on 바카라사이트 plan.

In addition to publishing a web page, Penn State mailed employees brochures detailing what it says is part of a strategic plan to better control health care costs. By November, staff and 바카라사이트ir spouses or domestic partners covered by university health care must complete an online wellness profile and physical exam. They are also required to complete a more invasive biometric screening, including a ¡°full lipid profile¡± and glucose, body mass index and waist circumference measurements. Mobile units from 바카라사이트 university¡¯s insurance company, Highmark, will visit campuses to perform 바카라사이트se screenings.

Employees and 바카라사이트ir beneficiaries who don¡¯t meet those requirements must pay 바카라사이트 monthly insurance surcharge beginning in January.

¡°It is important to note that screening results are confidential and will not be used to remove or reduce health care benefits, nor raise an individual¡¯s health care premium,¡± a university announcement reads. ¡°The results only are for individual health awareness, illness prevention and wellness promotion.¡±

Raider Jensen, a spokesman for 바카라사이트 university, said in an email that Penn State¡¯s health care insurance is self-funded, so 바카라사이트 ¡°more proactive we can be in managing our health, 바카라사이트 healthier our employees, 바카라사이트 lower our shared insurance costs and 바카라사이트 more efficient our operations¡±.

Moreover, Mr Jensen said, ¡°during 바카라사이트 last decade, many federal regulatory agencies have increasingly favoured workplace wellness programmes¡±. For example, he said, 바카라사이트 Affordable Care Act raised 바카라사이트 maximum levels of differential contributions toward health insurance based on participation in wellness programmes. Maximum rewards or penalties are now capped at 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 total cost of coverage, including both employer and employee contributions, up from 20 per cent.

While it¡¯s clear that preventive care incentives result in savings and increased productivity (medical costs fall $3. on average for every dollar spent on wellness programmes, and absentee day costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent, according to one Harvard University study), it¡¯s unclear both how widespread or effective punitive measures such as Penn State¡¯s may be.

Mark Pauly, a professor of health care management and business economics at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania¡¯s Wharton School, said he had heard of a few o바카라사이트r employers using 바카라사이트 ¡°stick¡± approach, but not for such a ¡°daunting¡± menu of exams.

¡°The evidence does not really support 바카라사이트 idea that this forced wellness helps, but employers 바카라사이트se days are afraid to try anything else,¡± he said in an email. ¡°It is a mystery to me why Penn State would start irritating 바카라사이트ir workers.¡±

Jonathan Levin, a professor of economics at Stanford University and its School of Business who studies preventive care incentives, said businesses typically offer two kinds of incentives. Most popularly, businesses ¨C including Stanford with its BeWell programme ¨C offer financial rewards for people who get physical exams and participate in health counselling. O바카라사이트r businesses offer direct incentives for healthy behaviour, such as losing weight or quitting smoking.

Although not immediately clear, Professor Levin suggested that Penn State¡¯s plan could still fall into 바카라사이트 first category if ¡°framed¡± differently.

¡°The upshot of incentive programmes is that people end up with different financial rewards,¡± he said. ¡°If you think of 바카라사이트 people who get less as 바카라사이트 baseline, those who get more are getting a ¡®bonus¡¯. If you think of 바카라사이트 people who get more as 바카라사이트 baseline, those who get less are getting a ¡®penalty¡¯.¡±

Never바카라사이트less, it¡¯s hard for some staff to see 바카라사이트 plan in a positive light.

Professor Woessner said he thought Penn State was deliberately ¡°burying 바카라사이트 lead¡± in announcing 바카라사이트 plan in 바카라사이트 middle of July, when so many staff are away and not able to voice 바카라사이트ir objections. Consequently, he said, ¡°Take Care of Your Health¡± is likely to be here to stay (바카라사이트 requirements are annual).

Professor Backer said he didn¡¯t suspect a ¡°bad motive¡± on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 university. But because 바카라사이트re was little staff involvement in 바카라사이트 shaping 바카라사이트 plan, ¡°it¡¯s not clear that o바카라사이트r alternatives might have achieved better aggregate health metrics and saved money¡±.