I know I'm overweight, but now I realize it really is costing me money. I've been lucky thus far to have virtually no health-related problems besides the occasional cold. However, I am still paying a price for overeating - or I'm about to, anyway.
Since I lost my job last year I stayed on my old employer's health plan via COBRA. It's been subsidized through some plan Obama passed for those who are unemployed through no fault of their own, so I had no reason to switch.
Last month I received notice that my subsidy was about to end. Facing a $300 monthly insurance bill, I decided to shop around. I settled on a high deductible plan from Humana. The first $5,000 in annual health care expenses are paid directly by me, and I can fund a Health Savings Account to cover my out of pocket expenses for tax advantages. When I was filling out the application, I was originally quoted $80 per month. But when I received the approval email, the rate had changed to $100 per month.
The reason I was given for this change was "Body Build." Interested to know what I needed to do in order to eliminate this premium, I called Humana and found out that I weigh about 10 pounds more than the maximum they allow for my height. I know I need to lose a lot more than that.
Humana told me that if I can lose the weight without the aid of prescription medication or surgery, and keep it off for one year, they will remove the "fat penalty" from my account. One more reason for me to get in shape!
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