Health Care Reform

Are wellness incentives fair?

An amendment in the Senate finance committee's health care reform bill would allow companies to increase discounts on insurance premiums for employees that meet certain health goals. Advocates say that financial incentives play an important role in encouraging healthy lifestyles, but opponents worry that lowering premiums for some will raise them for others.

Guests

• Michael O'Donnell: Founder and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
• Kenneth Thorpe: Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.
• Dick Woodruff: Senior director of federal government relations with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Resources

• About Michael O'Donnell
• About Kenneth Thorpe
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• NPR: "Patient Advocates Fear Bias in Wellness Incentives"