Michelle McCarthy was featured in The Daily Journal article, "Incentives for Healthy Habits Could Hurt." Full text can be found in the April 3, 2015, issue, but a synopsis is noted below.
Around half of all employers in the United States have set up wellness programs with the intentions of reducing health care costs that sometimes add up to a multibillion-dollar overall expense.
Many of these wellness programs are the result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) disagrees with the ACA's push for these programs, stating that they often do not help the disabled. The EEOC believes that the programs are unfair since the disabled may not get the same discounted health insurance.
According to Michelle M. McCarthy, "When you impose substantial penalties or benefits, the EEOC's concern is it's not voluntary because the employee feels compelled to participate or be subject to other penalties or incentives."
"Given the law, there seems to be conflicting goals", she continues. "Some laws encourage wellness programs and other measures for healthy lifestyles, and there seems to be other laws discriminating against health status."
Originally published by The Daily Journal.
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