Wellness programs get sickly response.

Redrant: Try this link to the St. Paul Pioneer Press story. http://www.twincities.com/ci_10450807

Here is another version in the Hartford, CT Courant. http://www.courant.com/business/hc-healthprograms0911.artsep11,0,5918099.story

What's notable is that only 10% of people with genuine health problems use these services. You directly ask a doctor or google the condition if you want to deal with it. Most of the "wellness" information is so loaded with disclaimers to be nearly useless or has a "nanny culture" moralistic tone to it. At work a few years back we got a book "Well Advised" wich I browed for an hour. It was packed with so many disclaimers that it was almost totally useless. It reminded me of the fancy lures in the bait shop that seemed more designed to catch the fisherman than the fish. The book, phamphets and "wellness" programs, like the fancy lures, seem to better at "catching" management, who are legitimately worried about health care costs, rather than the employees and others actually using the programs.

Part of the problem is mandates, especially poorly written ones that tend to get expanded. Not work digging up but I believe that this summer, on FreedomToAct.com I linked a story on kids at summer camp "fat farms". Some insurance companies paid for the stay using "mental health" coverage. The kids might lose weight at the "fat farm" but will the exercise and diet lessons "stick" once they get back in the "real world" especially if they are coherced to go there? These "mandates" tend to increase in cost with time.

If you have a chance browse the comments section for some nuggets amid the tailings.
http://www.topix.net/forum/source/twincities-pioneer-press/THE28KHCJ48UD1NOQ

There is one comment after the HC article. http://www.topix.net/forum/source/hartford-courant/TNNET87CHEQRES9CL

Note privacy fears that are expressed in comments.

The same "antis" behind smoking bans, "food police" and other quasi-prohibition movement activities support, and profit, from businesses using this "wellness" strategy. This is also the same group that likes to increase increase personal information in government databases with thing like proprosals that all citizens have mandatory health screenings (IE weigh ins)

In terms of privacy and confidentiality concerns I worked for thirty years in high end mainframe computor work and tried to study what the "big irons" were actually capable of doing. I retired last year so I feel more free to talk now without repercussions. My "job" (now pension), retiree health insurance and future pension are irrevolkable. I feel free to speak without the risk of repercussion to me or those I work with. That said, in my 33 years with Hennepin County I have no major complaints, epsecially at the "tactical" level with the people I worked with. Overall, I was treated well and have no compliants of a legal nature. I retired early because I planned it that way and could afford to. When I had knee and elbow problems I worked with my supervisor to adapt the work (at no cost using existing old equiptment they wanted to get rid of because it was so "ratty"). The first rule is try to work with your employer.

Basically I have no gripe against Hennepin Count as my employer for 33 years.

That said, I get the idea that information that is collected in "wellness" efforts will not get to your supervisor or even personell if a diciplinary/firing decision is contemplated. It is still there with with a time stamp and IP address which makes it potentially available if you consider a legal action against your employer. It is likely that this will be "dug up" and "thrown into your face" to get you to drop the suit or go for a token settlement. This greatly bolsters the case by an employer who alledgedly discriminates against or wrongfully discharges. Thsi can be extremely intimidating. The neo-prohibitionists tend to support these activities. If you push the "wellness" types they will not deny that the "data" can potentially be subpeneod.

On a personal level the liquor store that is closest to my house, Minnehaha Liquor (note 1984 picture and prices.

http://jamesmaystock.com/Urbanscapes/Pages/Minnehaha.html had a system where they scanned your drivers licence when buy anything. They said that the system was not connected but they had time stamps. I paid cash but they had cameras, whcih is OK bu they are also time stamped. I try to pay cash at liquor stores but a couple of times a year I buy with plastic.

I assume that if it is recorded, it is tracable. In a legal case where there might be an economic motivation to "find dirt" this info could be "timestamped" and used against me.

I have a penchant for cheap beer. My favorite is Mountain Crest. http://www.minhasbrewery.com/ which is now $8.69 for a case of cans at Top Value Liquor, the Columbia Heights municipal liquor store.  http://topvaluliquor.com/  They have cameras but don't use intrusive identification techniques.