Motorcycle-riding, sky-diving, and cigarettes. Should your employer be minding his own business, or yours?

As the author states here it's a one stop shop, fit all business...some insight on how employer related insurance is provided today...BD

I met someone last week who was quitting his job after 15 years. The company he worked for was acquired by another firm that had very different rules of conduct for its employees. The new company instituted very detailed guidelines about attire (all shoes must have laces), workspace (no food or drink at the desk), and behavior (no leaning on the side of desks—yes, an actual rule). Further, their health insurance policy had exclusions for items that the executives considered unwise: no coverage for treatments resulting from motorcycle accidents, sky-diving, or sexually-transmitted diseases.

Can companies do that? Certainly, when they’re paying. Whoever pays for insurance can decide what type of treatments will and won’t be covered by their insurance policy. Whenever we allow a third party to pay for our health insurance, we transfer a part of our decision-making power to them. Until individuals can take a more active role in selecting insurance, we will continue to have employers impose their own preferences on what type of insurance product we will get…along with rules about shoes and desk-leaning.