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Employee Benefits: The Less You Weigh, The Less You Pay?

By: Jen Mueller : 2/5/2010 7:16:58 AM : 262 comments : 11,603 Views

With health care costs rising more each day, employers are constantly looking for ways to lower their expenses and give employees incentives for healthy behaviors. Whole Foods has launched a new program for their employees called the Team Member Healthy Discount Incentive Program. All team members currently get a 20% discount on Whole Foods products. But now they will have the opportunity to get higher discounts (up to 30%) based on health measures like blood pressure and BMI. So the healthier you are, the more of a discount you'd be eligible to receive.

The program is totally optional, so anyone choosing not to participate will still get the standard 20% discount. In a letter to employees, CEO John Mackey outlined the details of the program. There are various discount levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum based on an employee's blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI and nicotine use.

This program is drawing a lot of criticism for a number of reasons. Opponents argue that BMI is not a good measure of health (since someone who is very healthy but muscular can have a high BMI). They also argue that controlling discounts based on health means that more "unhealthy" people won't get the same access to the healthy products Whole Foods sells- even though they might need them the most.

For many companies, I think the time has come to start getting creative to control health care costs. But is this a good way to go about it?

What do you think? Is this a good idea or does it make you uncomfortable?

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Comments (Scroll to end to leave a comment)

JEWLIETA 5/7/2010 2:09:02 PM	Whole foods is invested in promoting a certain lifestyle, and can make demands of their employees appropriate to that investment, just like Hooters and their busty waitresses. I would not like to see this sort of program in place at a business that is not directly related to health. Another opinion that I have is that I would not feel comfortable shopping at a place that encourages weight discrimination, even while I am trying to lose weight.	262
BRENDAT666 5/6/2010 11:44:35 AM	I think it's a great idea. May have to tweak the measurements over time (for example, to address the muscular folks have higher BMI concerns) but this is moving folks in the right direction.	261
JIBBIE49 3/17/2010 11:50:19 AM	This is great.	260
DOOOD_ 2/24/2010 6:33:20 PM	Encouragement has to start somewhere! A better deciding system can be implemented later.	259
ESMOMMY13 2/20/2010 11:41:11 AM	I do not see a problem with what Whole Foods is doing. If anything it will encourage people to become healthier to get the better rewards. I like that it is optional and that all employees keep their 20% discount which when I worked at Wal-mart years ago is better than I got. Currently my state health insurance is changing. Starting next year all smokers will not be able to get the 80/20 plan and will have to get the 70/30 plan. In 2011, those whose BMI is 40% or higher will also be forced to get the 70/30 plan. I am obese and have done my bmi and luckly at 33% and hope to be in the overweight category before 2011. I do agree that BMI is a bad way to figure out if a person is healthy or not. Since Whole foods is testing different things I hope that the BMI is not the only factor in their program. For ours, BMI is the only factor being looked at which I think is wrong. Another issue for Whole Foods and for our own state. Who is going to pay for the tests to check BMI and so on? If it comes out of my pocket I will be very unhappy!	258
RENE54 2/14/2010 9:00:29 AM	My employer has enrolled in Virgin Health miles. It is an incentive plan to get employees active. It is voluntary, you sign up and they send you a pedometer. You get "health miles" for walking. The point level is based on how may steps you take each day. There are other ways to win points. You get paid for reaching each level. It is not a lot but it does make you get out there and do some walking and it has worked for me. I go out of my way to get "extra" steps each day. I think incentives for healthy living are on the right track for employers as it will encourage us to do better. Once it is a habit it is there for ever.	257
NTRYBA 2/14/2010 2:07:40 AM	This new help you get healthy plan was implemented at my husbands job. With all the testing, the standards are set even higher than a Medical Doctors. A team of people test the employees. (Chosen by the Ins. Company). The older you get the better they want your health to be. My husband is 57 years old. BP has to be lower than 129/70 his was 130/70. We have to pay extra. Cholesterol has to be below 130 his was 150 we have to pay extra. Our Doctor will not put him on meds, but we have to pay extra! The plan is called voluntary if you don't participate you have to pay extra also. Coverage was reduced and the plan cost more. He loses 1.25 per hour in pay for new plan the old one use to be paid by the employer. They will chip in for a health club plan. He would rather get back the 1.25 per hour and pay for his own plan. I work at a health club, some times people have heart attacks and even strokes, just because they fall under the (fit) guide lines does not mean that they will live forever. We need to get the chemicals out of our foods like MSG that make our children over weight. We don't take time to cook, and school lunches are void of nutrition. People do you really want your employers involved in your personal lives also? It always sounds good until you do not have a choice! You can be healthy without the incentives that will only give the Insurance companies the benefits. Take your own responsibility! You have loads of resources. Get a friend and go for a walk. Learn to cook! Put your families first.	256
LEAHSFAMILY 2/13/2010 4:04:32 PM	I work for Safeway and they have a similar program. Once a year you can get blood pressure, BMI, nicotine and cholesterol testing. If you fall within a healthy range you get a discount for each area. I think this is very cool. I love to save money on my insurance and it provides me with goals to save more next time.	255
LORNE67 2/12/2010 1:55:43 AM	I think it is a good idea but I could see one improvement. That would be by changing BMI to @ of body fat index. Since it is optional, it is not selecting out unhealthy people to not participate. It would be an encouragement to get healthier.	254
CROS4T 2/11/2010 12:15:53 PM	I believe that this is an excellent idea. The discount is already there, and the OPTIONAL chance to increase it rests squarely on the employee. In my opinion, that is the company putting their money where their mouth is. Saying "we want you in good health" and giving you an incentive / opportunity to improve your own health is what separates the good from the great.	253
MIZZOUMAC 2/11/2010 11:32:05 AM	Excellent idea! All employees already get a 20% discount... and there is an incentive not only to get healthy, but for people to get their levels checked regularly. Early intervention is a key to avoiding more serious chronic problems, so I would support anything that encourages people to take an active role in monitoring their health. The employer doesn't have to give anyone a discount to begin with... this is going above and beyond.	252
BRIANLIEBERTH 2/11/2010 9:03:13 AM	Whole foods is right on again!! I am over 300 pounds so I would be on the wrong end of this if my employer did it but the incentive to turn it around is powerful. As most plans are today I pay the same for coverage that my healthy coworkers do. I am diabetic, asthmatic, have sleep apnea, high cholesteral, high blood pressure. What successful business model on earth says I cannot be charged more money than someone that has none of those problems? The important thing about this plan is that it isn't so much a punishment as an incentive to turn it around. They are using the natural inclination of humans to work towards a goal. I wish there was a whole foods near me so I could support them. The more I hear of their management the more I wish more companies would emulate it!!	251
NICHOLAY 2/11/2010 2:49:39 AM	While I agree that giving a health incentive is a good thing, this is a really bad idea. BMI should not be used because of the reasons discussed in the article, plus the money and effort the company will spend on testing their employees is a waste of resources. Not to mention the TOTAL invasion of privacy! What would make more sense if they really want to encourage employee health, is have a tiered system of discounts depending on what the employee buys. So, for example, give a 30% discount for organic fruits and veggies, a 20% discount on regular food, and maybe no discount for sweets and fats. Or maybe offer a discount on gym memberships or give some incentive for riding bikes to work rather than driving (a clean, comfortable and private place to clean up and change clothes would be a good start).	250
FINESSE910 2/10/2010 2:08:20 PM	There may be some flaws- but this sounds like a great system. We need to do something with health care and obesity in this country. This helps with both. I think if more employers start adopting something like this, it might cause a rise in people being more health-conscious. I think I would be very happy if I got that little extra reward. Besides, maybe, if more people adopted this incentive, there could be a more reliable means to determine health than by BMI. I think it's a good start.	249
PEGGYJEAN13 2/10/2010 1:57:59 PM	My insurance is higher because I am over 50 but I think that is totally inaccurate to judge me by my age. I am in much better shape than many in their 30's and 40's who do not watch what they eat and never excercise. Lets get healthcare to charge each person according to their lifestyle and needs,( I certainly don't need maternity coverage) not some national average.	248
RATLIN1 2/10/2010 12:04:02 PM	It's a great idea whose time has finally come. My employer has invested a lot of money in wellness for employees and I think it's very worthwhile. I've seen many people turn their health around because of this program.	247
CLUTTERBUSTER 2/10/2010 10:32:17 AM	I wish my employer did this. I would love to have another incentive to be healthy.	246
COOPERD44 2/10/2010 9:28:11 AM	I would love to be rewarded for being responsible for controllable health issues. Bring it on.	245
LIVIN4TOMORROW 2/9/2010 8:31:09 PM	I think it's a great idea!!! I know that if I hadn't been previously working on being healthier than the incentive of a higher discount would get me going! It's a win win for both the employer and the employee...the employee will be healthier therefore not missing as much work and it would boost productivity and the employee would not only have more self confidence but they also get to see more money in their pockets because of the discount for groceries!!	244
HANNAHLAFRENZ 2/9/2010 5:20:43 PM	Big Brother, anyone? This is the proverbial slippery slope. Once employers feel they can monitor the lifestyles of their employees outside work we will all be on our way to a military state. Sure, the program is "optional" now, but that doesn't stop all the managers and co-workers from scoping each other out in the break room. I'm all for healthy living, but when monitoring starts in the workplace, only bad things can happen. I know I sound paranoid, and maybe it's because I read too much sci-fi as a kid, but this just REEKS of privacy invasion.	243
J.BIRD1972 2/9/2010 4:39:03 PM	I love the idea of higher discounts to those who are taking better care of themselves. It is based on blood pressure, cholesterol, and nicotine use which for the most part are good indications of how you take care of yourself. I would suggest they go by waist line instead of BMI though which is suppose to be a better judge of health issues. http://health.usnews.com/usnews/hea lth/articles/051128/28waist.htm The National Institutes of Health recommends that men with waists measuring 37 inches or greater and women with waists larger than 31.5 inches modify their lifestyles to reduce their waists and resulting health risks.	242
LAURAVAN3 2/9/2010 2:27:14 AM	I saw this on the news last week. Having been a retail employee for a lot of years any incentive is a good incentive because they are few and far between. That being said however, I kind of felt this one was a little lopsided. The people who need to get healthier the most should get the better percentage off or better yet everyone should get the same. In the long run Whole Foods will benefit from all their employees being heathy in lesser medical insurance costs.	241
MTURNER68 2/8/2010 11:22:54 PM	I think incentives are a great idea but other measurements as well as BMI should be used. They should be looking at the big picture. Just because you're skinny doesn't mean you are healthy. Something needs to be done; not as punishment but as incentive to getting and staying healthy. You can still get sick and develope diseases even if you are "healthy".	240
NEWGUN71 2/8/2010 11:13:38 PM	Coming from someone who at this time is out of shape, I kind of like the idea. I am not a fan of BMI because when I was in shape my body fat was low but my weight was still higher than the standard for my height. Muscle weighs more than fat. But anything to help motivate people to live more healthy can't be that bad.	239
K_RENEE 2/8/2010 10:16:11 PM	The premise for this particular situation has good intentions, but I think there should be different measurements used. But overall, I think programs like these are good for the company and the employee. It's a rare win/win situation.	238
CHARLOTTE1947 2/8/2010 8:34:28 PM	I think it's a good idea. It helps people focus on their problems and adds incentives to adopt healthy life styles. People with unhealthy weights (yes, that means me) cost more in health care costs.	237
CKRYSZAK 2/8/2010 2:53:05 PM	No, I don't think this is a good idea, because there are too many variables to a person's health than just weight or BMI. Besides this seems like borderline violation of HIPAA privacy laws.	236
EARTH420 2/8/2010 2:08:16 PM	To anyone who realizes this is somewhat unrealistic: I was raised by a mother who fed us what she liked and it was not a very healthy diet. I was a fat kid, who was teased to total embarassment in HS. That same mother then took me a doctor and got me on diet pills, which made me shed 50 lbs and turned me into a beauty! It also taught me the "easy way out". When eventually I could no longer get doctors to prescribe the diet pills to me, I went to street speed for weight control! Gradually, I saw how this was a VERY bad thing and that it was no longer something I wanted to do, along w/ cigarettes and other addictive behavior patterns. Over the yrs, I learned to eat healthy foods and learned how to eat to control myself, but I still have weaknesses for bad food. I have been drug free and cig free for 2 yrs ... but I got VERY fat in the 6 months right after; then I started a new life habit of exercise and food choices. However, I am still overweight by at least 40 lbs and it is hard as hell to get that weight off. My BMI is not good but I at least keep trying. Now, tell me, should I have to pay higher ins. rates just because I'm not perfect? I think I should get some kind of something for deciding to turn my life around now that I am over 50! But the fact that I have - is really reward enough for me. But don't turn around and penalize me for my past mistakes that have resulted into something sub-standard.	235
CANDICANE32 2/8/2010 1:26:40 PM	makes me nervous. although I am overweight i am pretty healthy except for an autoimmune disorder and i don't feel that i should pay more. making people pay more does not really help the situation because people are already having financial difficulties and this is just one more burden to add to them.	234
JENNIAUN 2/8/2010 1:26:39 PM	The idea is great in theory! Hell, I would love a nice discount like that at whole foods! But I think about a couple friends of mine that their health is not really good and they are skinny as a rail! I know what they have, and nothing they can really do about it. But still. Their BMI would probably call them severely underweight, and one has a problem even going hiking with me sometimes. Maybe they should at least rethink the BMI thing...	233
CHLOIANNA 2/8/2010 12:54:09 PM	Wow, Dschondog. A lot of anger there. Perhaps you are fortunate enough to not have any of these diseases in your family tree. As it is, my entire family has/had diabetes. Both my parents had it.Granted, I did not control my weight which increased my chances of getting it. But what about my DH who has it and has never had a weight problem in his life. He is very thin and has hypertension and diabetes. Familial/race related. I think any incentive for us to be healthy is a good thing. You can choose health or not based on your own criteria. Right now, I am choosing a healthier life style. As for a Whole Foods store. I sure wish we had one here in the Lehigh Valley.	232
SOPHIAR1 2/8/2010 12:14:10 PM	it think it is a great idea as it is optional.	231
WENDYRS 2/8/2010 11:53:57 AM	Since this is an optional program, and since Whole Foods is still giving a generous 20% discount whether the employee participates or not, I think it's a great benefit, and I'd be happy to have something like that at my job!	230
LOCATEKIM 2/8/2010 10:04:27 AM	An incentive is an incentive (and they are different for each individual)...but, it shouldn't be etched in stone. If companies want to offer one, they need to offer several...after all, their goal should be to create a healthier group.	229
4MY_HEALTH 2/8/2010 9:54:29 AM	This is just wrong...Are you going to encourage people to loose weight so they can get a discount of smaller sized clothes? Or how about loose weight so you can purchase your gas a low price...after all if you weigh less your car will require less fuel and you will contribute to the ecosystem. Come on - where is this going to go?	228
DAP1313 2/8/2010 9:14:00 AM	I don't think it's a good idea since there are times that we have no control over our health issues. Like having diabetes, I ate healthy and exercised yet I still ended up with type 2. And by the way DSCHONDOG, diabetics do not over eat their pancreas' ability to cover their glucose and that's the reason they ended up diabetic. Please check your facts before stating this.	227
WHITEBULL1221 2/8/2010 2:25:08 AM	As long as it is not a manadory program to be involved in, I think it is a wonderful idea. People should be rewarded for staying healthy......I also think those who are trying to get healthy (no matter how unhealthy they are) should be rewarded.	226
VRCATON 2/7/2010 11:15:27 PM	I think it's a great idea, if you do keep yourself healthy you are rewarded! Using underwater weighing (hydrodensitometry) for the initial measurement would alleviate the whole BMI issue.	225
DSCHONDOG 2/7/2010 10:53:17 PM	Although BMI is not a perfect system, I do love the idea. I think it would work for most of the population. If someone is an exception, they can prove they are and be exempt from the BMI measurement. I am sick and tired of paying for lifestyle-based diseases. Smokers should pay when their cigerettes make them sick, diabetics should pay if they are diabetic because they've outeaten their pancreas' ability to cover their glucose. We live in a world of no consequences, but I believe I should have the right to refuse to be an enabler; I shouldn't have to support someone who is paving the road to their grave.	224
VANANDEL 2/7/2010 10:41:32 PM	I understand what the detractors are saying, but I love it when people are rewarded for doing good things for their bodies. If BMI is the wrong measurement, then I'm sure Whole Foods will figure that out and substitute a better measurement. The point is that employees are encouraged to be healthier and can earn rewards for making improvements to their health. Good for Whole Foods!	223
FITNHEALTHY007 2/7/2010 8:51:22 PM	This is a great idea!! Those who maintain a healthy lifestyle should be rewarded.	222
HALLELUL 2/7/2010 8:12:40 PM	I found myself double-sided on this one. But after scanning other comments and seeing a comment from a Whole Foods employee, it doesn't sound like this is a bad program and even sound motivational.	221
BATLOUSX 2/7/2010 6:50:58 PM	Because it is an optional program, it is a good deal. However, why not also provide rewards for people who are moving in the right direction? I applaud companies that provide activities, incentives and venues for employees to become healthier. I believe that the main concern is that companies might judge employees� value in terms of their current health. I have been hearing buzz about companies that are considering having people pay higher health premiums based on health appearances; BMI, non-smokers. I would hope that this does not evolve into having companies penalize employees. If people pay premiums based on their health, what happens when you do become sick? Suddenly you would pay more out of pocket costs. Would you be looked at poorly? Would you risk being released simply because you might be getting older and maybe not as healthy as younger employees.	220
CAROL57ANN 2/7/2010 5:27:40 PM	Maybe I am becoming overly sensitive on the subject. I read the article and little whisps of smoke came out of my ears but as I read the comments, I backed down. There are a lot of good comments about a company trying to do a good thing and being criticized for the attempt. They picked more than one criteria, they didn't have to do anything and, from what the one employee said; reaching a higher level is based on a combination of factors. It might even address the anorexic/bullemic and the stress junkies who create just as much of a drain on the health care system as the obese but rarely get he blame.	219
SHRINKING_MOMMA 2/7/2010 5:26:11 PM	Whole Foods in my opinion is over-rated in general. They should reward employees for doing a great job. I don't shop there because their food is overpriced. My local Kroger store has a wonderful selection of reasonably priced organic fruit, veg, etc. Whole Foods is just like Starbucks in my opinion, too expensive and a waste of money. But hey if you're rich and can afford it, who cares.	218
EMMKAYC 2/7/2010 5:10:48 PM	I think it's a great idea. Healthier people are a benefit to a company in so many ways: fewer sick days, better insurance premiums, better performance, etc.	217
BILLALEX70 2/7/2010 4:10:03 PM	At our company we've under gone a benefit changes over the past few years. We've got to earn points each year to keep our 'premium' benefits. If not we go into a passive plan that still exceeds most plans. Some people grumbled, but the premium plan has over 85% of the employees in it. There aren't any concessions for being overweight, smoking or anything else. It's just to get employees to more pro-active in their health.	216
RLAMBERTSC 2/7/2010 3:41:53 PM	A great example of a company taking a proactive stance in health care. -- Ralph	215
MOMMYSWAMI 2/7/2010 2:28:32 PM	Look you get the discount either way. Why shouldn't a person who makes their health important and therefore makes themselves less of a burden on their employer and society be rewarded for it? Maybe if there were more monetary incentives for wellness people would make an effort. As it is, the threat of death isn't enough.	214
LISALYNN1960 2/7/2010 2:18:44 PM	You go Whole Foods!!!! I support the innovative ideas that this company has in relation to employee health and wellness. I would love to be able to financially support a Whole Foods Market more often but the closest one to me is over an hour away. The more stuff like this that they do though the more trips there I will take. Love it!	213