Columbus Dispatch weighs in on Alabama obesity fee

The Columbus Dispatch editorial board endorsed an Alabama plan to charge a $25 a month fee to workers who are obese, saying  “incentives to take better care of yourself are the wave of the future” (Source: “Lose it or pay: Carrots and sticks to spur healthier lifestyles are likely to become common,” Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 2, 2008).

The editorial goes on to say that, “Insurance is sharing risk. When everyone in the insurance pool has the same risk, everyone should pay the same amount. When some people take on unnecessary risk, it's not fair to the other people in the pool to make them shoulder the extra costs that risk entails.”