Can your company force you to be healthy?
(LifeWire) â Three years ago, Danilo Reyes, a test engineer for Intel, received a $50 gift card from his employer to take a health-assessment test. Reyes figured that heâd pass the test with flying colors â he doesnât smoke or drink â and Intel made it easy by offering the free test at his office in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Rising health care costs are prompting firms to offer wellness programs for employees.
Rising health care costs are prompting firms to offer wellness programs for employees.
But when Reyes received the results, the diagnosis was a complete shock: His cholesterol and blood-sugar levels were abnormally high.
âIt turned out I was a borderline diabetic and at high risk for a heart attack,â says Reyes, 41. âI was terrified.â
Motivated by his diagnosis, Reyes consulted his family doctor, who put him on medicine to lower his cholesterol. A health coach at Intel, part of the companyâs wellness program, helped by advising Reyes on joining a gym and eating better. Over time, Reyes says, heâs seen tangible benefits and shed some excess pounds.
(moreâ¦)