fatsam posted in part:

We were told that this would be confidential. There are many employees that are outraged by this article. They must be playing there hand in some sort of political game. Is it possible that they violated any hipa laws?

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Based on what is shown in this article no HIPPA laws were violated. There is no personal information given, nor is any information given that would lead anyone to conclusively identify anyone.

These plans also disproportionately pick on people who are lower income. Studies have shown that lower-income people are less able to prepare healthy meals and more likely to have to resort to fast food, particularly if they have little time balancing work and family, etc. Meanwhile the affluent can belong to gyms, etc. Yet, the spokeswoman quoted here essentially accuses the majority of people of just "choosing" to struggle with weight and health issues. While that may be true for some, it is insulting and patronizing to insinulate that it is true for everyone who didn't measure up to their standards.

These coercive "risk assessment" plans violate employees' privacy rights. Also I doubt they are proven to do any good. In fact, they can cause harm. One person where I work is practically anorexic due to her slavish obsession with getting the "rewards points" through the health assessment program. And another broke her wrist during the assessment when they convinced her to get on some exercise equipment. This is just another way Big Brother can intervene in everyone's lives these days.

I'm ashamed that the Janesville Gazette would publish such biased trash. I guess its journalists, if you can call them that, no longer conduct their own research and investigations...they are spoon-fed half truths that lead the public to believe a distorted picture of reality. Quite sad.

Just so everybody knows (Eman and followers), Lakeland Hospital has been AURORA Lakeland Hospital since 1995. It is not owned or operated by Walworth County.

We were told that this would be confidential. There are many employees that are outraged by this article. They must be playing there hand in some sort of political game. Is it possible that they violated any hipa laws? I think we all deserve an explanation of their intentions.For the record, I was one of the people that had a perfect score. You could imagine how someone feels that didn't.

Justintime: I believe him cuz' I've "been there,done that" and I wouldn't take a dying dog to lakeland hospital!! Till' you have walked in some of Walworth counties taxpayers shoes keep your mouth shut and comments to yourself!! Next time you're sick, then YOU go there!! I sure won't!

Eman, thank you.

Eman: I am not saying this was the case, but -- one of the biggest problems with health care today is that the insurance company will only pay for what THEY deem necessary.
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In other words, the insurance companies are doctoring -- not the doctor!
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When our kids were born it was like Earl Sheib! In by 9; Out by 5! Insurance company says, "We won't pay for that extra day."

"National healthcare" would really work with this scenario now wouldn't it....More people with TOTAL irresponsibility and we all pay for it...I know, I know, not ALL of it is irresponsibility but MOST of it is.

Jansevillean....the key may well be education -but people who are overweight, have diabetes, or heart conditions have to WANT to make a change. Wellness incentives have been discussed, but that's just stupid too. Wellness incentives end up distributed to people who are predisposed to healthy lifestyles anyway.

This "screening" service dosen't do a very good job either. I submitted to a screening by this same company a few years ago. They told me I had several "medical" conditions as a result of some blood work. High cholestrol, high blood pressure, and by the standard, I was "overweight." So, here are my stats which have not changed much in the past two years. I am 5'8" and weigh 154. BMI is 23.5 - 24 is considered the high end of "healthy". I'm over 45 years old....This is pretty good! Not "overweight". My cholestrol is and has remained around 165! My blood pressure is actually too low according to my DOCTOR, not some blood drawing nurse practitioner. 94 over 60....

Turns out, the company had transposed my information with the person who had gone in right before me! UHHHHHH, excuse me???? The person who went before me is 5'4", 290 lbs....need I say more. SO, in order to prove that I was healthy, I used the health insurance plan to go to a doctor who refuted the results. The person who was 290lbs got a better health insurance co-pay rate because they got my results! It took the better part of 3 months to get my premium reduced. They never told my co-worker that hers was messed up.

But, I do know that in order to reduce the amount of $$ the employees have to pay as part of the premium, getting a good screening helps with that.

They left out one thing, over the next 10 years they are all going to get 10 years older.

Rock County employees took the same Health Assessment. I wonder how their numbers compare.

Once again, we see even in a small population how the lack of preventative care causes health care costs to rise. Simple interventions early on can delay or prevent many chronic conditions such as diabetes. The key is education and participation.

Eman- "My wife, my mother and myself have collectively been there over 100 times and not been correctly diagnosed once. NOT ONCE!"

May I ask why you three keep going back there?

And the point of this article is...?

Sample any group of WI residents, or a WI company's employees, or the local teachers' union members, and you are bound to find substantially similar results.

Next, sample the unemployed and Badger Care group, along with the SSI/disabled (a majority of whom are, sadly, slugs, who in any other country would have to "w-o-r-k" to eat!).

So what? Is this some sort of surprise to WI residents or is it a political game?

And how much money was the firm paid? Notice how many times municipalities hire consulting firms and tell us it is so necessary. Its almost always a prelude to an expenditure of more money in the near future.

If insanity is doing the same thing you did before, and expecting a different result, then what is it when someone does the same thing "over 100 times" and keeps going back?

Eman - I don't think anybody reading this believes a word in your post. It's pretty sad that you need to exaggerate to try to get a little attention.

Gee Mr. Dale Wilson & Walworth County Benefits department. What happened to confidentiality? It was always my & many others understanding that the only results that your office would know was whether or not employees took the screening & whether or not they followed up. I sure do hope that Walworth County's "top spender" sues your pants off.