Working with students with disabilities in a state institution – I am astounded daily by their stories of people on the street, on the bus, in the halls, in our offices, by our own instructors treating them with animosity based on perception.

I agree with R. B.! We need to tread lightly! It could be anyone of us, any day, though no fault of our own, that we find ourselves in that wheelchair, unable to GET medical insurance and having to wait for someone to help us dress so we can go to rehabilitative services. We need to remember that EVERYONE, regardless of race, creed, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, ability, etc. deserves respect. We need to charge the medical and insurance systems in this country with better business practice instead of paying out United Healthcare CEO 1.1 BILLION for 5 years of work.

Personally, I like the idea of rewarding people for not smoking or for trying to quit. I think there is enough factual research data to clearly indicate smoking greatly increases the risk of several major diseases. If an incentive can help people have the motivation to try to quit, everyone benefits. If they don’t want to try to quit, they would logically carry more of the burden of the expense incurred because of their choice.

Regarding obesity, the data isn’t clearly supportive. As has been mentioned, many overweight people are very healthy. Many often exercise more than those of a “normal” weight because they are always attempting to reduce. Some people have good genes and can eat in a very unhealthy manner, yet maintain an ideal weight. While there does seem to be an increased risk of diabetes and high blood pressure with the obese, for example, the overwhelming number of people who are overweight who do NOT have these problems would lead a person to think there has to be more to the equation. I think the emphasis should be on living a healthy lifestyle and not specifically on weight reduction.

The underlying problem that has prompted the punitive wellness plan thought process is out of control costs related to medical care. Everyone is trying to figure out what to do to contain this ridiculously escalating expense.

In my mind, insurance coverage largely addresses symptom / disease treatment and control rather than taking a more proactive stance in covering those services that help prevent illness. This is rather ignorant, in my opinion. We need to offer coverage for mental health care, addiction and addiction-related care, screening and prevention types of care because these all play a part in preventing major medical problems before they start or allow a problem to be caught earlier so it is more easily and successfully treated. I think people and institutions / companies are beginning to see this and things are slowly changing. As the pendulum swings, we need to try to eliminate extremes on either side. This means not being punitive in the way we administer our health insurance and wellness programs, but rather to reward individuals making wise choices regarding those factors they can control.

Discrimination is never right…there is no excuse for it, ever. And we can’t control all of the factors involved in medical illness. Bad things happen to people who do everything right…just like some people who never do anything right never have health problems. The escalating expense problem isn’t going to be easily solved and we need to be careful to approach any proposed solutions with logic, common sense and respect for others clearly in the forefront of our mind.

I have a very overweight friend who plays 2 hours of tennis every day and can hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in record time. She is an outstanding business professional and has made numerous contributions in high level public secot jobs she has held. Would we all deny her assets because she “might” cost her employer more in benefits.