More employers make workers who smoke, are overweight pay more for coverage

New research from benefits consulting firm Towers Watson has found that the percentage of companies that have policies imposing financial penalties on employees who smoke, are overweight or have high cholesterol has more than doubled in the past two years from 8 percent to 19 percent  (“The Smokers’ Surcharge,” New York Times, Nov. 16, 2011).

The survey of 335 human resource managers found that the use of penalties for unwanted health behaviors is expected to double again by 2012, when 38 percent of respondents said they planned to have penalities in place.

“Employers today view health and productivity programs as integral to their overall health benefit strategy and efforts to control health care cost inflation,” said Shelly Wolff, senior health care consultant at Towers Watson, in a news release. “As companies strive to maximize employee participation in these programs, they are opting for both rewards and penalties. And many are finding these approaches are producing significant results.”