Selling (out?) the Panopticon

[elfs]

So, work has informed me of the coming changes for the coming fiscal year with regards to our health insurance. The really bad news: the PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plan I'm currently on is going up by $150 per month. Ouch. The alternative plan is called the HRA, or Health Reimbursement Account. It costs about the same as my current account, and actually covers more preventative maintenence, but if you actually, y'know, get sick, the price will spike by quite a bit. On the other hand, if none of my family needs hospitalization or surgery in the coming year, the total benefit accrual will roll over and accumulate into the next year, and I'll be able to call on it before I have out-of-pocket expenses. Hmm. (No interest on the account, but there's no way I could access the cash to manage it myself under either plan.)

And there's a way to get a further 12% saving on the account. I have to prove I'm doing everything I can to stay healthy. If I'm overweight, I have to get weighed once a month to prove I'm losing; if I smoke, I have to document how I'm trying to stop. And if I'm generally healthy, I have to wear an accelerometer daily to tally up whether or not I'm doing enough physical activity to justify the break. The unit plugs into a USB connector and a "medical monitoring station" in HR that allows the insurance company (but not my employer, they said, crossing their hearts and hoping to die) to monitor my general progress.

I'm not entirely sure I'm happy with this idea. Maybe I can hack the thing.

Comments

[featheredfrog.livejournal.com]

I have to confess that the moment I saw USB connector, I began to think of abusive ways to game that system.

Shame on me.

Afterthink: if it's only an acceerometer, why not attach it to a bristlebot? Let IT to the walking around and jiggling for you.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Actually, even while she was mentioning it the woman was discussing ways to game the thing, like attaching it to your leg cuff if you bicycle, or to my gloves while working out on the punching bag.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Put it in the washing machine on spin cycle?

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Dryer. In a pillow. In 'fluff mode', i.e. no heat.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but they will insist that you increase the number of tumble cycles every month!

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Actually, I could talk to Omaha about my bad twitching habit. I should just attach the damn thing to my pants cuff.

[lisakit.livejournal.com]

I dunno 'bout that. The numbers would be so high they'd know you were cheating somehow! ;p

[antonia-tiger.livejournal.com]

They're fitting Elf Sternberg with an accelerometer?

Surely you can make that into a Journal Entry?

[ladyamanda.livejournal.com]

uh-oh.....I hate these darn "Health Police" programs. If you haven't seen it, check out http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com, after reading her take on these programs - I'd never participate.

[intrepid-reason.livejournal.com]

It sounds interesting and siturbing all at once.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

[ben-raccoon.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's amazingly invasive.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

And supposedly voluntary. It'll only cost me $500 a year extra to have my privacy.