Politics
Out of context: Reply #7789
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- TheBlueOne0
@TommyO and others of the libertarian bent: So, you guys are always complaining about how Government is seeking to control how one lives one's life, (for example, whether one has to wear underwear at work or not )and seem to always say that private enterprise is the way. So, what say you to this article in the WSJ about Safeway enforcing bahavior modifications on it's employees to cut healthcare costs. What's the difference between government not allowing soda in schools versus your employer telling you it's in your best interest to not eat that cupcake and eat a carrot instead?
"Safeway's plan capitalizes on two key insights gained in 2005. The first is that 70% of all health-care costs are the direct result of behavior. The second insight, which is well understood by the providers of health care, is that 74% of all costs are confined to four chronic conditions (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity). Furthermore, 80% of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is preventable, 60% of cancers are preventable, and more than 90% of obesity is preventable....As with most employers, Safeway's employees pay a portion of their own health care through premiums, co-pays and deductibles. The big difference between Safeway and most employers is that we have pronounced differences in premiums that reflect each covered member's behaviors. Our plan utilizes a provision in the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that permits employers to differentiate premiums based on behaviors. Currently we are focused on tobacco usage, healthy weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB…
So what's the difference between Government telling you not to smoke and not to eat that hamburger for your own health versus Private enterprise enforcing the same to save themselves some bucks, on principle?
- choice is the difference,BattleAxe
- i can quit working at Safeway , much easier than moving to another countryBattleAxe
- I would say the "illusion of choice" myself...TheBlueOne
- What if Safeway is the only business in town?TheBlueOne
- what if I won the lotteryBattleAxe
- ZING!tommyo
- I can provide plenty of examples of company towns. How many times have you won the lottery?TheBlueOne
- ZING BACKATCHA!TheBlueOne
- I'm not even going to play your lowest common denominator game. It's a silly premise you proposed, stop defending it.tommyo
- it is not so black and white ,BattleAxe