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Industry News Studies Alabama Hems In Insurance Protocol
Industry News Studies Alabama Hems In Insurance Protocol
| Alabama Hems In Insurance Protocol |
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| Sunday, 01 February 2009 07:00 |
| Two years from now, state employees in Alabama who pass a specific threshold of obesity will be forced to pay a $25 monthly premium for insurance that is normally free. The penalty, which would be the first state-sponsored tariff on weight, will take effect if an employee has a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or above. The penalty can be relinquished should an employee show measurable progress toward weight loss, yet the exact parameters of such progress have not yet been announced. Recent statistics show that Alabama ranks second in the country in rates of obesity, which stand at a prevalence greater than 30 percent among its adult population. Though obesity has never before been targeted, the state already charges its employees who smoke. |