The first state in the US to require obese state employees to pay for their own health insurance is Alabama.If any state employee has a BMI of 35 or greater and doesn't show progress towards weight loss, they will charge $25 per month. This will be assessed by the Alabama State Employees' insurance Board.
According to the LA Times, this plan was approved last week. Alabama will give their employees until January 2010 to lose the weight. As it is now, they charge smokers $24 a month for their insurance. If you smoke and are obese, the fee will be $49 a month. An Insurance Board member is quoted as saying, We are trying to get individuals to become more aware of their health."
At first glance, this proposal makes sense. Most people are aware that being obese is a health risk, their is high blood pressure, cholesterol, among others. This is actually a good incentive.
There seems to be many responses to this answer. Most of the cons come from teh actual obese Alabama residents.
The response to that is that not every overweight person is unhealthy. It has been researched and proven that half of overweight people have normal blood pressure and cholesterol. Out of obese numbers, a third have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. An Alabama state worker says, ."[The new plan is] terrible. Some people come into this world big." This will be an ongoing debate.
