The 2010 ACA law considers employee wellness discounts of 30% or more coercive and potentially a way to get around the ban on individual medical underwriting. W

The 2010 ACA law considers employee wellness discounts of 30% or more coercive and potentially a way to get around the ban on individual medical underwriting. While monetary incentives are powerful, people are not completely or even close to rational actors. If poor health and prematurely dying (often painfully) aren’t motivators to take care of your health, what will? Health promoting culture like teaching all kids to cook and eat healthier, encouraging fitness through less car centric infrastructure, etc. are needed to address the metabolic syndrome epidemic. Frequent reminders, small sub-goals, reinforcement, role models are probably more effective than a four figure fine for being unhealthy. Some people can overcome big problems on their own because they are committed, but once you get out into the wider population a lot of marketing, hand-holding, and gimmicks are needed to get everyone to make significant permanent change.