Legal Question in Health Care Law in Illinois

I work for a company that currently wants to make it mandatory to have a physical to measure bmi. if your bmi is too high, a dietician and weight loss plan will be implemented. if you fail to follow the procedure, your insurance will not pay. is this legal?


Asked on 8/27/09, 4:46 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Andrew Pavlinski Pavlinski & Elkins

It is legal in some circumstances for an employer to regulate employee health, i.e. hiring non-smoking employees, etc. They cannot terminate you for not following the protocol, but you mentioned insurance. The employer can implement programs to encourage the well being of the employees, especially in light of the rising cost of employee medical coverage. As for the insurance company denying a claim based on "unhealthy" behavior, well, this is an area of the law which varies depending on circumstances. You would need to discuss the details of the present insurance coverage contract and the details of the proposed plan with an attorney or your HR department in the event of a lack of coverage.

Read more
Answered on 9/01/09, 6:15 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Health Care Law questions and answers in Illinois