Richmond, Virginia (Thomas P. Marshall) – Amid the debate about health care reform, some employers are already taking steps to control costs and at the same time improve productivity with wellness programs.

The idea is in the Senate version of the health care reform bill, and some people have criticized it because they say it penalizes people for lifestyle choices. Generally speaking, the programs would set certain goals, such as cutting smoking, dropping weight and reducing high cholesterol, and tie them to reductions in health care premiums. Some programs even offer a cash reward.

And what has some critics concerned is that some programs charge penalties if people do not meet the criteria. The Senate bill would allow insurers to penalize subscribers at a higher rate, even thousands of dollars, for not meeting the wellness targets. The idea has support among Democrats and Republicans, who have been proposing a version of this for the past few years.

But, controversy aside, it is clear that more companies and other entities are interested in the programs for controlling costs and boosting morale.

At Florida Health Care Plans, 93 percent of the employees qualify for wellness benefits, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal. The insurer pays 80 percent of Weight Watchers dues, access fees to area gyms and 100 percent of any health care premium increases for eligible employees, who are nonsmokers with a body mass index less than 27.5.

Hudson Technologies, a company covered by the insurer, said between 75 and 80 percent qualify for the company to pay an extra 10 percent of employees’ health care premiums. The company’s program started slowly, with one success at a time.

“One person’s success just snowballs,” said Pam Price, Hudson’s human resources director. The company found absenteeism dropped substantially and has noticed that employees are more engaged.

Roy Braddy, Hudson’s director of supply chain management, used to be a 325-pound smoker of up to two Marlboro packs a day, the newspaper reported. He was able to get rid of blood pressure medicine, inhalers and the breathing machine he needed just to be able to sleep.

“To be rid of that shame (of being overweight) is so liberating,” he said. “It brings out a new part of your personality and it’s really cool.”

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