List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Oct. 31, 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Frustrated by rising healthcare costs, significantly more employers are replacing the carrot with a stick; if workers aren’t going to quit smoking, lose weight and improve their health, they’ll have to pay more for insurance. The logic, if tobacco users are responsible for 25 percent of the health care, they should pay more for it. But as Jilian Mincer discovered while reporting the story not only are most wellness programs ineffective, the higher costs employers plan to charge less healthy workers typically penalize individuals who can least afford higher premiums. As one medical researcher said, the wellness programs may be well-intentioned, but “what might be seen as a question to one person may be an intrusion to another. ” The high premiums also most adversely affect the poor, who are the least likely to have easy access to fitness programs and nutritious fresh produce. So people like Wal-Mart employee Barbara Collins, who earns only $730 every two weeks will pay $254 a month, for smoking.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
This story included numerous studies by the government, academics and consulting firms as well as surveys by non profits like the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.
Explain types of human sources used.
People make the story. Mincer was able to find people whose lives will be impacted by the policies. While some have benefited from the anticipated nudge, others aren’t sure how they’ll afford the extra expenses.
Results:
In addition to prominent play on the Reuters.com website, the article appeared in dozens of newspapers. The debate is growing as more workers are forced to participate. Among them, Chicago city workers will soon pay extra h if they don’t participate in wellness programs.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
This story has not been corrected nor has its content been challenged. The story was repeated to include additional links on the website, but no changes were made to the copy. More stories are planned, especially on privacy issues and potential employment problems for unhealthy workers.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
It’s crucial to go beyond the numbers to track down people affected by policies. That’s often difficult because companies don’t offer up dissatisfied workers. Think about who has a vested interest– unions, medical professionals and plan participants.