House Wellness Bill Contains Incentives for Employee Smoking Cessation
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Legislation to promote wellness could allow employees to be reimbursed for smoking-cessation programs and rewarded for healthy behaviors
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Legislation to promote wellness could allow employees to be reimbursed for smoking-cessation programs and rewarded for healthy behaviors. Rep. Michael Arcuri introduced H.R. 3688 Oct. 1 to "encourage participation in employer-sponsored health and wellness programs," according to the N.Y. Democrat's office. Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., cosponsored the bill. The bill would offer lower insurance premiums to employees if they meet health goals, such as quitting smoking. Other health goals mentioned in the 1 bill include exercising and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. "The health care crisis in America has a lot to do with the strain on the system caused by increases in unhealthy lifestyle habits, which lead to serious health issues," Arcuri says in an Oct. 7 release. "Helping people lead healthier lives is essential to controlling the cost of health care for everyone." To encourage those habits, the bill offers reimbursement for tools used to achieve health goals, such as fitness centers and smoking-cessation programs. The legislation states it would reimburse individuals "for the costs of smoking-cessation programs without regard to whether the individual quits smoking." A spokesman for Arcuri said employers and insurers would have discretion to decide whether OTC nicotine replacement therapy products would be reimbursable. Lawmakers have paid more attention to wellness as the health care debate has heated up. They also have focused more on the health risks related to smoking, particularly following the passage of a bill charging FDA with regulating tobacco products. The bill "would raise the cap on health insurance premium discounts for participation in a wellness program from 20 percent to 30 percent," the release says. "Under the bill, the secretary of Health and Human Services has the authority to raise the discount cap to 50 percent in the future if appropriate." The spokesman said the bill moved to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He noted it potentially could be attached to the health care reform bill. - Katie Stevenson ( 2 [email protected] ) |