Although uncommon and potentially controversial, some health insurance providers have experimented with policies that offer general savings and discounts for clients with a lower body mass index (BMI). One’s BMI, which essentially reveals their body’s muscle to fat ratio, can often inform medical experts about an individual’s potential risks for obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, and other related illnesses. As a higher BMI may potentially help providers determine an individual’s anticipated insurance costs, some providers are hoping to motivate clients to engage in healthier daily habits in order to gain increased wellness and savings benefits.
Health and the Cost of Care
As Americans are reporting a rising number of obesity related illnesses and deaths each year, many experts argue that individuals with less than ideal lifestyle habits should ultimately pay more for insurance coverage. According to medical studies, a BMI between 19 and 25 is considered to be generally healthy, while a BMI of 30 or more classifies individuals as “obese.” Those whose BMI rank between 26-29 are labeled as “overweight.” Currently, an estimated 1/3 of Americans fall into the “obese” category, while a large portion of Americans are medically labeled as “overweight.”
Because the health risks associated with obesity can result in the need for an increased number of medical tests, prescription drug treatments, and / or other costly services, some insurance providers are seeking to balance the costs for coverage by charging individuals with a higher BMI greater premium prices.
While many argue that this practice is an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy, as one’s BMI can be influenced by both genetic factors as well as lifestyle choices, proponents of this new insurance calculation undoubtedly disagree. As obtaining information of a patient’s BMI would potentially require health insurance companies to access each client’s personal medical charts and histories, many assert that insurance leaders are obtrusively overstepping their boundaries of coverage and care. On the other hand, advocates supporting this alternative method of pricing assert that charging higher premiums for individuals with greater health risks helps to more reasonably even out the costs of health care for all Americans.
