Wellness Programs

Jo’Von Johnson-Murphy

Bus 101-001

Wellness Programs

        This article spoke on health insurance and the importance to have it and the worry that one’s medical history isn't as safe as broadcasted and as they'd hope it would be. Health insurance and proper health care is very important. It's something that's brought up and has to be kept up to date at every school and every work place. It's something that'll help make sure your costs are covered if anything were to ever happen and medical services were needed. Without it, medical expenses is often the same amount of ones earnings. Making it very difficult to focus on everyday wants and necessities.

Healthcare cost

The cost of insurance both with your work place and without and the safety of the information strike my interest. Let's start with the cost. There are programs such as StayWell Vendor and Honeywell that jobs set up in order to help health insurance become “more affordable” for people. These programs cost however, are starting to request the health information of those who are entering the program. I don't exactly agree with that policy. The patients concerns are between them and the doctors and or specialist that can possibly help them. How does one possibly having cancer or simply suffering from common cold is the concern of the health insurance? Does the level of sickness determine whether or not a patient can enter one of the programs or does it determine the amount of help a patient will be receiving?

The knowledge of the patient’s health in detail doesn't seem essential to any part of the process. The wellness programs are there to make health care more affordable, it too can also be expensive. Yes, while some help you to save anywhere from $300-600 in insurance you still have other charges within the policy. Such as surcharges, additional fees and cover charges which can basically be priced at any amount since not many people understand the additional charges.

Private Information

 A lot of people are beginning to wonder if their health information is as safe as claimed to be in the work and school settings. Is the information really kept safe? Or can it be easily gotten ahold to and leaked to the public? Can it be seen by everyone other than one’s self and the second party who was allowed to see it? Those who use the wellness programs information is safely stored away. It is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is important ones health information is safe.

On the black market a hacker can get $50 for a medical chart. So it’s no surprise to hear that in early 2014 a wellness program by the name of StayWell Vendor had names, birth dates and contact information hacked. More than 14,000 of their clients’ employees became victims of something they was uncomfortable of giving up in the first place. Since the hack StayWell Vendor has taking more precautions such as having mandatory training for employees and the third-party vendors. Social Security numbers are no longer used for patients ID numbers and financial information is not be collected.