Kennesaw’s city employees identified as high-risk for health complications may pay more for medical benefits unless they participate in a city-sponsored wellness program.
The council is scheduled to discuss the proposed policy today at a 7 p.m. meeting. The policy would affect known tobacco users, some overweight employees and others identified by the company’s wellness consultant as being at high risk of health complications, Mayor Mark Mathews said Sunday.
That could double their premiums, which would go from $25 a pay period to $50.
“It’s just a good incentive to help the members and owners of the plan to save money,” Mathews said.
Kennesaw dropped traditional health insurance coverage about four years ago and went with a self-funded model in which premiums go toward paying claims and establishing a catastrophic health care fund from which large expenses are paid. At the time, the city created a wellness program designed to help lower claims, Mathews said.
The higher premiums for employees who don’t want to participate in the wellness program were proposed by an employee benefits committee, Mathews said. He said he has not heard from any employees concerned about the proposal.