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CVS Forces Employees To Share Health Data Or Pay Fines

Posted: March 20, 2013
CVS Forces Employees To Share Health Data Or Pay Fines

CVS is forcing employees to share health data or pay fines of around $600 per year. Employees must share their weight, body fat percentage, and blood glucose level as determined by a doctor.

Employees working for CVS must provide their employers with the results by May 1 or begin paying $50 more per month for health insurance. CVS has offered to cover the cost of testing.

CVS is calling the program voluntary as employees must to sign a consent form. The form also allows CVS to share the employee’s data with WebMD Health Services Group.

As reported by CNBC, smokers will be effected by the new policy as well. Smokers working for CVS must either stop smoking by May 1 or enter a smoking cessation program through WebMD.

CVS defends forcing employees to share their health data as they are trying to cut healthcare costs. The policy, which they have called a “health screening and wellness review,” is meant to help employees maintain a health lifestyle.

Employees have been assured that the results will remain private. They stress that the results will only be shared with WebMD, which will monitor and manage the data.

Critics of the policy contend that it is a blatant breach of personal privacy. As reported by the Boston Herald, Dr. Deborah Peel of Patient Privacy rights has called the program “incredibly coercive and invasive.”

Peel blames the struggling economy and a rise in healthcare costs for an increase in employee wellness programs. She is concerned that wellness programs will help companies “get rid of” employees with health issues. Dr. Peel has stated that the policy is misleading as it is called voluntary when workers are being forced to sign consent forms.

According to their website, CVS Caremark is based in Rhode Island. The company opened its first retail outlet in 1963 and opened their first pharmacy department in 1963. CVS currently employs around 200,000 people nationwide.

Officials at CVS will be forcing their employees to share their health data by May 1, or their health insurance premiums will increase $600 per year. The new policy includes all existing employees and any new hires.



Comments


4 Archived Responses to “ CVS Forces Employees To Share Health Data Or Pay Fines ”

  1. Heather Marie Kosur
    Mar 20, 2013

    Employment at CVS is optional. The company can make whatever rules they want so long as the rules apply to everyone.

  2. Mary Kay Goller Kosur
    Mar 20, 2013

    So the airlines can go back to only model looking females as flight attendants if that is the rule they want to make? Even if someone different looking can perform the same duties equally or better? What's coming is that someone doing an excellent job but overweight and living with a legal smoker will be let go for someone doing a so-so job but is thin and has a lower insurance cost profile. My generation strived for equality for everyone but I see it slowly slipping away as both the left and right extremists try to push their agendas and common sense goes out the door.

  3. Heather Johnson
    Mar 20, 2013

    In this case, the only penalty is an extra charge on their health care. Being overweight and smoking significantly increase the risk of health problems and the need for health care. The employees can continue to make unhealthy lifestyle choices; they just have to pay for it. It is not fair to people who strive to be healthy to have to pay the extra costs for someone who is morbidly obese and smokes like a chimney.

  4. Julie Baker Morse
    Mar 21, 2013

    Heather Johnson, if you are insured, you are already paying for the healthcare costs of every person in your employer group. Your premiums aren't going to decrease, regardless. Skinny non-smokers make unhealthy lifestyle choices, too. Are you comfortable sharing detailed information about your STD testing, sexual orientation and proclivities when THAT information becomes "voluntarily required"? Because I promise, that's what's coming. Sex can lead to STDs that can lead to cancers and other expensive healthcare costs. Don't think for a second that it's going to end at BMI and cigarettes.