Union Official Says Smokers and the Obese Could Pay More Under Obamacare
Wellness programs would consider many professional athletes to be obese
Under ObamaCare, smoking, obesity and other health conditions sometimes penalized by wellness programs can force even those with employer-provided insurance to pay more, an officer of the National Union of Healthcare Workers said Tuesday.
"I run five miles a day, I don't drink, I don't smoke. And by the Kaiser wellness program that a number of employees we represent are covered by, I'm two pounds from being overweight," said John Borsos.
Kaiser said in a statement late Tuesday that its program is voluntary and does not penalize those who don't meet the program's goals, although that is not true for other programs.