Who pays for Obesity?

An article in the Cincinnati Enquirer explores a number of health policy questions surrounding obesity, including:

• Should fat people be charged higher insurance premiums?
• Should insurers be obliged to cover weight-loss surgery?
• Should the obese have to pay more for airline or theater seats?
• When can an obese person file a legitimate disability claim?

The article explores the different sides of these issues. (Source: "Who pays for obesity?" Sept. 23, 2007.) For example, because a growing number of employers are charging smokers higher health insurance premiums, there is concern that fat workers could be next. However, as the article states, under Department of Health and Human Services rules insurance plans can only offer "discounts or rebates to non-obese people," provided wellness programs are also made available for all plan members. One example of a company following these rules is Cincinnati-based Western and Southern Financial Group, which "started a healthy-weight incentive program that could offer a national model." The company adds a $15 to $75 monthly surcharge to the health-plan costs of overweight workers based on workers' person's Body Mass Index score. Workers who lose weight get rebates.