You want a job? Want health insurance--you need to be in excellent health--not the future, but happening now, and coming to an employer near you.

Last night I attended a lecture at our local high school --

(From his lips to my ears I heard his PLAN for the nation LOUD and clear--ask me a question!!)

The guest speaker was non other than the INFAMOUS Dr. Michael Roizen, best freinds with Dr. Oz, author of many books such as "Are you as young as you can be?" and "The real age diet"...and with Dr. Oz "You on a diet", "You staying Young"......

In 2007 Dr. Roizen was named Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, the first such position in a major healthcare institution in the United States.

You might be thinking "so what"?

Here is what ALARMED me.

The Cleveland Clinic is the largest employer in our area.

They are doing some groundbreaking things that are "PLANNED" to effect every man, woman and child in this country...sooner or later.

First--you might wonder why a hospital would invest major $$$$ to fund a "Wellness" program. Hire a Dynamic Dr. to tirelessly promote this new agenda that to force people to be "WELL"?

THe first step was to require all employees of the Cleveland Clinic to not smoke.

They fired two top Dr.'s who refused to quit smoking. They tested people and tied their ability to get reasonable health insurance to their compliance.

Every year the difference between the "Well" people and the others meant more $$$ expensive health care. He stated that now that difference it $2000- a year.

They test you to see if you are using a legal substance and punish you by making your healthcare $2000 more expensive than the others who don't smoke.

Well, that might sound like a good idea--but wait, now you can not get hired by the Cleveland Clinic if you smoke--and they test you. They are selling their program to a hospital or business near you as we speak.....

OK, so smoking is "bad" for you, I don't smoke, why should I have to pay higher insurance rates for those who do??? But, here is the thing.....

[link to www.nytimes.com]

"Hospitals Shift Smoking Bans to Smoker Ban
By A. G. SULZBERGER



"Smokers now face another risk from their habit: it could cost them a shot at a job.

More hospitals and medical businesses in many states are adopting strict policies that make smoking a reason to turn away job applicants, saying they want to increase worker productivity, reduce health care costs and encourage healthier living.

The policies reflect a frustration that softer efforts — like banning smoking on company grounds, offering cessation programs and increasing health care premiums for smokers — have not been powerful-enough incentives to quit.

The new rules essentially treat cigarettes like an illegal narcotic. Applications now explicitly warn of “tobacco-free hiring,” job seekers must submit to urine tests for nicotine and new employees caught smoking face termination."

~~~~OK, so here is the KICKER.....what will be next?

How about this quote from the above article

"One concern voiced by groups like the National Workrights Institute is that such policies are a slippery slope — that if they prove successful in driving down health care costs, employers might be emboldened to crack down on other behavior by their workers, like drinking alcohol, eating fast food and participating in risky hobbies like motorcycle riding.

The head of the Cleveland Clinic was both praised and criticized when he mused in an interview two years ago that, were it not illegal, he would expand the hospital policy to refuse employment to obese people.

“There is nothing unique about smoking,” said Lewis Maltby, president of the Workrights Institute, who has lobbied vigorously against the practice.

“The number of things that we all do privately that have negative impact on our health is endless. If it’s not smoking, it’s beer. If it’s not beer, it’s cheeseburgers. And what about your sex life?”

Last Edited by stillhere on 10/17/2012 01:32 PM