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Get healthy or get out, boss told employees
Herald Palladium ^ | June 12, 2010 | JOHN MATUSZAK

Posted on 06/12/2010 1:44:37 PM PDT by libertarian27

BENTON HARBOR - Howard Weyers believes that the bottom line for health care costs depends on what's happening with the waist lines of employees.

Or the lungs, or any other organ that could fail due to misuse or neglect and cost an employer money.

And he believes those employers should be encouraging workers to live healthier lifestyles and aggressively monitoring what they do inside - and outside - of the workplace.

"If we do nothing about personal health, we will do nothing with cost," Weyers, a health benefit consultant based near Lansing, told about 40 people Friday at his seminar at Michigan Works on reducing health care costs. "It all starts with personal health: for you, your spouse and your children."

As the owner of Weyco Inc., a health care consulting company, Weyers started policies that put his employees on notice that they - and eventually their spouses - would have to shape up or ship out. ~snip~ Journalists questioned whether Weyers was taking a "Big Brother" approach toward the health of his employees. ~snip~ His philosophy, he explained to his audience, is "I pay, I say. If you pay, you say." ~snip~ He said the third hurdle to staying healthy is not following a doctor's orders. He had an employee who was diabetic but neglected to take the steps to lessen the effects and had frequent hospital visits. That person was shown the door.

(Excerpt) Read more at heraldpalladium.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: diabetes; healthcare; lping; nanny; obamacare; obesity; pufflist; socialism
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To: nolongerademocrat
He’ll probably die in some freak accident totally outside his control.

Probably be another Jim Fixx. The guy who was going to live forever due to running...keeled over dead at 52 after his morning run.

21 posted on 06/12/2010 2:03:49 PM PDT by Malsua
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To: trumandogz

I’m hoping that there will be an enormous backlash in November to Obamalini’s policies...


22 posted on 06/12/2010 2:03:57 PM PDT by achilles2000 (Shouting "fire" in a burning building is doing everyone a favor...whether they like it or not)
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To: achilles2000

Yes, but what does that have to do with private employers firing people who smoke, are generally unhealthy or may live a lifestyle or orientation that the owners of the company find to be unacceptable?


23 posted on 06/12/2010 2:06:01 PM PDT by trumandogz
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To: Malsua

Yep.


24 posted on 06/12/2010 2:07:31 PM PDT by nolongerademocrat ("Before you ask G-d for something, first thank G-d for what you already have." B'rachot 30b)
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To: trumandogz

They’ll never dictate it, they’ll just arrange legislation so the employers are forced to do it on their own. Sort of like the way Denmark handles private car ownership: No one is forbidden to drive a car, but no cars are produced domestically, so all must be imported, and all imported cars are saddled with a 150% sales tax. Further, gasoline is heavily taxed, to the point where it’s far more cost-effective to use public transportation. Likewise, no one will *require* employers to fire “unhealthy” employees, they’ll just arrange legislation in such a way that insurers will be required to charge exorbitant premiums for an arbitrary list of “unhealthy” lifestyle choices, including diets with lots of red meat, smoking, motorcycle riding, “adventure sports” (rock climbing, hang gliding), “excessive” weight (no doubt based on the worthless BMI statistic), and so on (homosexuality will be excluded, despite being far more dangerous, as will certain racially-correlated factors). It will amount to the same thing in the end.


25 posted on 06/12/2010 2:11:47 PM PDT by Little Pig (Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.)
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To: libertarian27

He’s been an asshole for years evidently. This isn’t the first time health nazi has gone over the line.


26 posted on 06/12/2010 2:12:38 PM PDT by CajunConservative (0bama, your ass is the first one you need to kick.)
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To: libertarian27

So does he pay 100% of his employees health ins? My company pays for some but I also pay every week. We were told if we smoke or not take a yearly physical our premiums may go up.


27 posted on 06/12/2010 2:20:34 PM PDT by roving
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

And just wait until someone provides health information about health risks of homosexual behavior. Will that ever happen? They will lecture us about being overweight, but never will anything be said about homosexuality.

Not making moral judgements here, just health ones. Male homosexual behavior is risky. Are they willing to take this all the way into sex lives?


28 posted on 06/12/2010 2:20:58 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: roving
So does he pay 100% of his employees health ins?

He maybe freelancing now. According to the article, he sold the company..

29 posted on 06/12/2010 2:25:32 PM PDT by EVO X
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To: libertarian27

Another corporate nazi. Yes, probably a “libertarian.”


30 posted on 06/12/2010 2:25:49 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: libertarian27

I have no problem with those who lead “unhealthy” lives (smoking,overweight,skydiving,auto racing.etc) paying more for health insurance than others.But *firing* such people goes too far.


31 posted on 06/12/2010 2:27:38 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Host The Beer Summit-->Win The Nobel Peace Prize!)
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To: SaraJohnson

Oh pleeeze - Newbie.....


32 posted on 06/12/2010 2:27:58 PM PDT by libertarian27 (Ingsoc: Department of Life, Department of Liberty, Department of Happiness)
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To: libertarian27

“Weyers is a trim man of 76 who said he eats healthy and works out five or six times a week. He was a runner for 40 years before knee problems slowed him down.”

Wow, seems his lifestyle has caused potential healthcare expenses.


33 posted on 06/12/2010 2:29:15 PM PDT by autumnraine (America how long will you be so deaf aInd dumb to the chariot wheels carrying you to the guillotine?)
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To: trumandogz

It has to do with the fact that healthcare mandates and costs under Obamalini are driving employers to be harder on these issues than they would otherwise be. I see that as one source of backlash, among many.


34 posted on 06/12/2010 2:32:19 PM PDT by achilles2000 (Shouting "fire" in a burning building is doing everyone a favor...whether they like it or not)
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To: trumandogz

First they came for the smokers....but I was not a smoker...

Then they came for the fatties...but I was not a fattie...

Then they came for the drinkers..but I didnt drink..

Then they came for the meat eaters...so I quit eating meat to keep my job...

Then they came for the GUN OWNERS, motorcycle riders and corvette owners, the rock climbers and ski-divers and boaters...but I owned no motorcycle,vette,or boat...didnt climb rocks or skydive...I dutifully sold my guns to keep my job...

Then they came for anyone who didnt ride a bike to work...so I bought a bike to keep my job......

Then they started genetic testing to screen potential risks...then I was screwed and no one stood up for me.


35 posted on 06/12/2010 2:33:05 PM PDT by Crim (The Obama Doctrine : A doctrine based on complete ignorance,applied with extreme incompitence..)
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To: achilles2000

Except in this case, he started this crap back in 2003. Long before Obama was out of the streets of Chicago.


36 posted on 06/12/2010 2:35:44 PM PDT by autumnraine (America how long will you be so deaf aInd dumb to the chariot wheels carrying you to the guillotine?)
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To: autumnraine

There are two points - one generally about backlash because this is the direction the planners in DC are trying to force on everyone. The other is that whether anybody likes it or not, conservatives ought to recognize the owner has the right to do this.


37 posted on 06/12/2010 2:40:19 PM PDT by achilles2000 (Shouting "fire" in a burning building is doing everyone a favor...whether they like it or not)
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To: autumnraine
Except in this case, he started this crap back in 2003. Long before Obama was out of the streets of Chicago.

Yes, but that was back in the 'day' when lines were drawn in the sand with private health care costs. He's a nutty employer with draconian practices - go work for another employer...American Works.... But with Nationalized HealthScare, there will be just one big employer bracket and one big umbrella of healthcare...where do you go then?

Costa Rica? Si?

38 posted on 06/12/2010 2:43:26 PM PDT by libertarian27 (Ingsoc: Department of Life, Department of Liberty, Department of Happiness)
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To: achilles2000

Not according to the government. There are protected classes. Skin color, national origin, sexual orientation. I bet a lot of fat freepers who applauded Scott Co. for firing smokers are pooping their stretch pants now. How will they feel when they are fired unless they weigh 160 lbs.?


39 posted on 06/12/2010 5:29:04 PM PDT by boop ("Let's just say they'll be satisfied with LESS"... Ming the Merciless)
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To: libertarian27

Oh mindless libertarian OldBEY speaks out for big pollutin’ BP. “I don’t care who the corporation ruins, it’s their business!”

Being a libertarian is easy. No moral delimas; no responsibility, either! Rah rah profit...GOOOOO BP! Libertarianism for dummmies. :)


40 posted on 06/12/2010 5:31:44 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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