The Wellness Ripoff

Seems state government is not content to deny its employees their legally-mandated raises and keep them in line with constant threats of layoffs.

Now it's started down the road to making the physicially imperfect subsidize health insurance for everybody else.

Proposes a new Wellness Program that would operate on a voluntary basis. Under that program, where each department of personnel is directed to provide a reduction in employee premiums, a contribution to the reimbursement account, a reduction in out-of-pocket expense, a cash award, additional paid leave or any combination thereof if an employee enrolls in and meets the requirements of the wellness program. The Personnel Cabinet is required to propose the incentives for a minimum number of programs, which include smoking cessation, weight loss, diabetes management, and asthma management.

In other words, if you suffer from genetic- or disease-based obesity, diabetes or asthma, you are going to end up paying more - eventually far, FAR more - for your health insurance than your luckier coworkers.

And yes, as research is beginning to reveal, the difference between the obese/chronically ill and the slender/healthy is mostly a matter of luck, genetic and otherwise.

Everybody who thinks the state is actually going to pay cash incentives for "wellness," as opposed to reducing insurance premiums for the genetically lucky, stand on your head.

This bullshit establishes the legal basis for employment discrimination against anyone who is not thin and perfectly fit.

As a Kentucky taxpayer, I am more than willing to subsidize cash incentives for state employees to adopt healthy behavior. I refuse to condone discrimination disguised as "wellness."