City employees would see their monthly health insurance premiums rise by $50 unless they participate in a “wellness program†to manage chronic health problems such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, under a private sector-style plan to be unveiled Friday.
After a standoff on work-rule changes, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has forged an agreement with city unions on a plan to use what he has called the “carrot-and-stick approach†to drive down the city’s $500 million-a-year health care costs by as much as $240 million over four years.
The program would begin by offering city employees and their dependents enhanced screening and wellness training to establish benchmarks and long-term goals, including weight loss, medication, exercise and kicking the smoking habit.
Coaches would ride herd over workers on a bi-monthly basis to make certain they’re following their prescribed nutritional, medical and physical fitness regimens. Those who refuse to participate would see their monthly premiums rise by $50. Those who meet their goals could see similar reductions.
“There’s no penalty for getting sick. But, if you choose not to be in it and do it on your own, you’re gonna pay $50 more a month and $50 for your wife. That’s not that much money,†said Lou Phillips, business manager of Laborers Union Local 1001.
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