(from CNA website)
· UC really wants you to fill out their 2008 Health Assessment Questionnaire, and markets the questionnaire as “voluntary and confidential”.
· While this year the questionnaire is voluntary, it definitely is NOT confidential.
· In responses to CNA’s written questions, UC admits that their questionnaire subcontractor (StayWell) CAN GIVE your questionnaire answers to your insurance plan. These questionnaires typically cover extremely personal matters. This means your private and personal answers do not stay with the questionnaire subcontractor, and instead can be sent to
your health insurance plan.
· How does UC plan on getting around this confidentiality problem and yet still get you to give the health plan your very private and personal medical information?
o First, by not telling you it is not confidential.
o Second, by inserting a terms-of-use statement at the beginning of the on-line questionnaire that you have to accept before you can get to the questionnaire. And counting on you not reading the terms-of-use statement, especially when you have been repeatedly assured that the questionnaire is confidential.
· These “wellness questionnaires” are one of the current fads in the health insurance business. Often the incentive to get you to participate in the first year is a gift certificate. The incentive in subsequent years may be dramatic health
insurance premiums increases if you and your dependents do not follow the recommendations of your “wellness
counselor”. This is one of the issues Sutter RNs struck 2 days over last week (Sutter is a large hospital chain in northern California.).
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