20 Pushups or $20? The Choice is Yours

How would you respond if your employer posed that question to you? Well, it may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. The Los Angeles Times reported today that, in an effort to curtail sky-rocketing health insurance costs, some employers are implementing programs that penalize employees for being overweight, using tobacco/nicotine products or other unhealthy conditions and habits. Starting in 2009, an Indiana-based hospital chain will begin charging employees $30 every two weeks, unless they meet weight, blood pressure and cholesterol guidelines established by the company. Other companies plan less extreme programs, such as providing financial incentives to healthy employees. One example is UnitedHealthcare, a nationwide insurance company. The company has already introduced a pro