So my employer has implemented a "wellness program" via Virgin Pulse that started this month. Essentially, if an employee chooses not to participate they pay double the amount towards their health insurance costs. So instead of paying 5% of the cost, you'd pay 10%. This is not a small chunk of change.
In this particular "wellness program" you earn specific points for specific activities. You must reach a particular threshold to get the discounted rate on your insurance. What this means is that I am forced to disclose my personal health information (or financial information) to this company and set goals to improve my health and wellness status or improve my financial status.
This is like big brother run amok. And I am told by my union rep that there is nothing that can be done about it. That most major companies are doing these programs in order to save on health insurance costs.
Just when you think the health care in this nation (USA! USA! USA!) couldn't possibly get any worse. Now I have a major corporation tracking my sleep, my exercise, my diet, my stress, my medical information (including lab work), and using this information for god knows what.
And to top it all off, my employer just LOVES to brag about how "equitable" they are toward their employees. Yeah, how equitable is it that people who have the financial means to pay more of their insurance costs can easily disregard this nonsense but a single parent with 4 kids who can barely make ends meet is forced to participate even if they don't want to because they simply don't have the money to pay more. Holy shit balls this fucking sucks ass.