NEW YORK, NY – Whole Foods Market announced its own health care plan last week, saying that it plans to increase store discounts for employees who lose weight and measurably improve their health, Bloomberg News reports.
As part of the incentive plan, workers will receive discounts from 20 to 30 percent based on improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, body-mass index and whether they smoke, CEO John Mackey said.
"We're making an investment and we expect a return," Mackey said, referring to potential health care cost savings. Last year, the company spent $150 million on self-insured health care coverage.
Mobile labs will travel to Whole Foods stores to perform health tests, Mackey said, and contests between stores and regions will foster competition.
"We make getting the 20 percent discount easy to encourage participation," Mackey said. "The discounts are on a sliding scale based on results."
For employees with type-2 diabetes, Whole Foods currently offers a retreat-style immersion program, paying several thousand dollars per person to work five to 10 days with up to four U.S. doctors. More than 100 people have already participated in the program.
"Several of those employees have told me the program saved their lives," Mackey said.
Whole Foods pays health care premiums for its 40,000 fulltime employees, which comprises more than 75 percent of its work force.
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