4 ms·
Caveat: In my experience, I've been subjected to a phone call from a Registered Nurse who reviewed my personal health records and called to ask me to switch to
by 6stringmerc 11y ago
Caveat: In my experience, I've been subjected to a phone call from a Registered Nurse who reviewed my personal health records and called to ask me to switch to a cheaper medication because the company was going through some financial difficulty. I'm 100% not making this up. Your assertion that a company doesn't want personal health information of individual employees is one that I do not agree with.
If a company can eliminate the 5% of people driving XX% of the premium cost - through cancer, major surgeries, etc - then it stands to reason they would undertake that method of reducing overhead.
The employer itself may not have access, but the party they hired may have access, and I do agree that robust legislative firewalls and significant jail-time for violators should be a national priority.
Or, in other words, I very much disagree "Wellness Programs" are actually concerned with wellness (no assistance with dietary materials, gym memberships, incentives, etc) and should be portrayed as "Health Cost Containment Programs" which is significantly more honest.
- bduerst 11y agoWho was this RN working for exactly? Your PCP? Your insurance company? A broker? A third party? I doubt they are employed at the company you work at, meaning your employer isn't look at your health record.
- st3v3r 11y agoEmployed directly? Maybe not. Employed by a company the employer asked to look into reducing health plan costs? Most likely. And just as creepy and scummy.
- bduerst 11y agoOr it could be their PCP's RN asking them to switch their ongoing Rx to a generic, because recent updates to their health plan means a higher co-pay or deductible. This happens more than you realize, and doesn't mean their employer violated their privacy, which is why I ask.
- st3v3r 11y agoThen they would have introduced themselves as such.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- bduerst 11y agoThen it's an easy question to answer, isn't it? Any more insights into their phone conversation, st3v3r? Edit: I knew I recognized you, s73v3r - https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=s73v3r https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=s73v3r
- 6stringmerc 11y agoI believe your scenario as described would be an accurate assessment of what I perceived to be happening. As in, a hired firm that could legally review records as medical professionals and then make that type of call. I'm a well-educated health consumer so I knew the product I was being requested to use was actually more risky long-term to my personal health, which I thoroughly explained at probably too loud a volume to be considered polite during the course of the call.