Who's your health nanny?
Big Government or Blue Cross Blue Shield? More likely the latter, I think. In order to receive full 80-20 health benefits through Blue Cross Blue Shield, this year NC state employees (including yours truly) had to sign a waiver that they didn't smoke or had enrolled in a smoking cessation program sponsored by a doctor. Otherwise, employees received lower 70-30 coverage rather than the standard 80-20. There will be random testing of those who claim to be nonsmokers. Those who test positive for smoking will be punished, losing all co-payments for care already received in that year, switched to 70-30 coverage for the remainder of the current year, and kept at 70-30 coverage for the following year regardless of whether they quit smoking or begin a smoking cessation program. What's next? A neighbor tells me that next year those with a BMI above some threshold will receive less coverage too. This, I suspect, is just the beginning. As health costs escalate and exclusions