By: Daniel Nardini
I normally do not talk about my personal life, but I will make one brief mention of a problem I have. About eight years ago, my doctor informed me that my sugar level was getting high and that I should cut down on foods and do more exercise. Well, I followed his advice. But the recommendations did not work. My sugar level kept rising and no matter how much exercise I did and what foods I and my wife prepared according to what we were advised by not only my doctor but by two hospitals to do my blood sugars kept going up. Finally my high blood sugar level was having a serious affect on me. I was tiring out more and I was having trouble staying awake. My weight started to go down too rapidly, and my blood sugar level was heading towards dangerous levels. Finally the condition got so bad that I could not do day-to-day activities. Finally, the doctor diagnosed that I have diabetes type two. I was put on medications immediately. Now I feel better and largely do not have the problems I had. This is what is called a medication condition beyond one’s control. No matter what I did it just got worse and nothing could stop the condition.
The newspaper understands the problem, and I am very grateful. Sadly, these days many employers do not. If I worked for an employer like Walmart I would have been blamed for my condition and most likely fired or forced to pay high insurance premiums. One of the major problems with employer-managed insurance is that employers are demanding employees either take special classes for health conditions that may be beyond their control, or pay higher premiums or be fired. In theory employers will not raise an employee’s insurance premiums if they can prove that their medical condition is not preventable and beyond their control. In theory. In these bad economic times employers have too much power to make life and death employment decisions on employees who may have certain conditions that are beyond their control. Employers more worry about the profit line than their own employees at times. This is especially true in a large corporation where employees are more numbers. Many employers say that since they are “paying for the insurance” that they a “right” for the employees to comply with their demands.
But then one must ask what are reasonable demands? In my view smoking and excessive alcohol drinking are dangerous to one’s health and yes an employer can make a “demand” that employees pay higher insurance premiums for this. At the same time making demands for employees do “strenuous exercise” when they are obese or tell them to take mandatory classes for chronic health problems is intruding in people’s personal lives. I do not smoke and I do not touch alcohol at all. I personally do not like these habits. However, beyond higher insurance premiums I do not feel that any employer has a right to tell people how to live their personal lives nor tell people what is the “ideal” health model. To me if a worker can do his/her job then it should not matter what their health issues are. Very few people are in perfect, perfect health and employers, especially in large companies like Walmart, should take this into consideration. In my book there are certain lines that should not be crossed by employers or government bureaucrats. I can only hope that workers, unions and civil rights organizations will fight for the rights of employees to not have anyone intrude in what a person’s body functions are or use someone’s chronic health problems as an excuse to mistreat or fire them.
When Your Body Functions are not Your Own
By: Daniel Nardini
I normally do not talk about my personal life, but I will make one brief mention of a problem I have. About eight years ago, my doctor informed me that my sugar level was getting high and that I should cut down on foods and do more exercise. Well, I followed his advice. But the recommendations did not work. My sugar level kept rising and no matter how much exercise I did and what foods I and my wife prepared according to what we were advised by not only my doctor but by two hospitals to do my blood sugars kept going up. Finally my high blood sugar level was having a serious affect on me. I was tiring out more and I was having trouble staying awake. My weight started to go down too rapidly, and my blood sugar level was heading towards dangerous levels. Finally the condition got so bad that I could not do day-to-day activities. Finally, the doctor diagnosed that I have diabetes type two. I was put on medications immediately. Now I feel better and largely do not have the problems I had. This is what is called a medication condition beyond one’s control. No matter what I did it just got worse and nothing could stop the condition.
The newspaper understands the problem, and I am very grateful. Sadly, these days many employers do not. If I worked for an employer like Walmart I would have been blamed for my condition and most likely fired or forced to pay high insurance premiums. One of the major problems with employer-managed insurance is that employers are demanding employees either take special classes for health conditions that may be beyond their control, or pay higher premiums or be fired. In theory employers will not raise an employee’s insurance premiums if they can prove that their medical condition is not preventable and beyond their control. In theory. In these bad economic times employers have too much power to make life and death employment decisions on employees who may have certain conditions that are beyond their control. Employers more worry about the profit line than their own employees at times. This is especially true in a large corporation where employees are more numbers. Many employers say that since they are “paying for the insurance” that they a “right” for the employees to comply with their demands.
But then one must ask what are reasonable demands? In my view smoking and excessive alcohol drinking are dangerous to one’s health and yes an employer can make a “demand” that employees pay higher insurance premiums for this. At the same time making demands for employees do “strenuous exercise” when they are obese or tell them to take mandatory classes for chronic health problems is intruding in people’s personal lives. I do not smoke and I do not touch alcohol at all. I personally do not like these habits. However, beyond higher insurance premiums I do not feel that any employer has a right to tell people how to live their personal lives nor tell people what is the “ideal” health model. To me if a worker can do his/her job then it should not matter what their health issues are. Very few people are in perfect, perfect health and employers, especially in large companies like Walmart, should take this into consideration. In my book there are certain lines that should not be crossed by employers or government bureaucrats. I can only hope that workers, unions and civil rights organizations will fight for the rights of employees to not have anyone intrude in what a person’s body functions are or use someone’s chronic health problems as an excuse to mistreat or fire them.