Employers Monitoring Employees’ Weight & Habits, Just One of the Ways Obamacare Intrudes Into Your Privacy

Beginning in 2014, patients’ overall health, eating habits and body mass index (BMI) will be part of an electronic record, shared with various government bureaucracies, in addition to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Doctors will be required to record your BMI, which measures whether or not you are overweight. This will be done every you receive any type of medical treatment. This information will be sent to HHS who will keep track your BMI and your updated information will be forwarded to various other agencies.

There’s also a good chance your employer will try to bait you into enrolling in a wellness program in which employees will need to reveal their height, weight, body fat percentage and other personal data. A fine will be imposed on those who refuse to do so. The employer will not have access to the employees’ personal health information, it will be sent to a third party administrator. According to Health Affairs:

“The Affordable Care Act of 2010 will, as of 2014, expand employers’ ability to reward employees who meet health status goals by participating in wellness programs–and, in effect, to require employees who don’t meet these goals to pay more for their employer-sponsored health coverage. Some consumer advocates argue that this ability to differentiate in health coverage costs among employees is unfair and will amount to employers’ policing workers’ health.”

In the UK, smokers and overweight patients are viewed as “undeserving” and are denied treatments such as cataract surgery and knee and hip surgery, and left to suffer through the symptoms.  American Thinker reports:

“Some of the UK’s ‘trusts,’ which regulate the national health care system for various zones of the country, go farther, denying all operations to those who don’t meet the government’s weight dictates except for lifesaving surgery on their hearts, brains or to remove cancer.”

A recent study shows that a majority of the UK’s doctors think the national health system should go farther still and deny all non-emergency care to patients who don’t meet certain weight and health criteria. By law, they still must pay for their health care, of course, even though they are denied the ability to get treatment.”

State employees in North Carolina self report height, weight, and whether or not they smoke to their state health plan administrators. Those who admit they smoke or are overweight pay higher premiums. However, even employees who are not overweight and who claim to not smoke are subject to random health “inspections” by agents of their health care plan. And, these little checkups can occur at an employee’s home, school, or at work; a pursuit carried out to ensure the given quarry has maintained a proper weight and does not smoke.

Obamacare incentivizes these programs:

“These fat taxes and punitive charges are relatively small now, but under provisions of ObamaCare, they have the potential to grow to financially crippling proportions in the coming years.  As the New York Times reported, current regulations allow corporations to charge employees who fail to meet specific government health standards up to 20 percent of their insurance costs. That jumps to 30 percent in 2014 and eventually up to potentially half their insurance costs.”

Given the incentives in ObamaCare, these monitoring activities will no doubt soon be employed on the population as a whole. Corporations are already beginning to adopt them.  The only way to escape them will be to decline health insurance coverage in violation of the law and pay a fine.”

In fact, new data from Aon Hewitt, a global human resources consultancy, suggests that nearly sixty percent of US employers plan to “impose consequences on participants who do not take appropriate actions for improving their health” in the next few years; this can include completing a health risk questionnaire.

CVS has been in the news recently for having announced to its workforce that they must participate in a “wellness review” or face an annual penalty of six hundred dollars. Such reviews ask employees to have their physicians determine various health indicators such as weight, blood pressure and body fat.

Obamacare’s intrusion into your life begins with a twenty-one page health care application. Upon completion of the monstrosity, it will be analyzed by three separate federal agencies, including the IRS. You can take a look at the application here.

It’s also important to be aware of the fact that the electronic record, on which all of your medical information will be stored, can be hacked. Government agencies have fallen victim to hackers in the recent past. In an article in the Washington Times, it is noted that, “despite stringent privacy laws (called ‘HIPAA protections’ after the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), the new health care law will actually make it easier for accidental exposure or hacking of your private data to an unlimited number of strangers. Anyone with an ounce of media consciousness during the last decade knows that if hackers can break into the Pentagon, and millions of military medical files can be lost, then your medical records are not safe on a host computer or stored online.”

The long revered doctor patient relationship is expanding to include a network of bureaucracies and perhaps a network of hackers.

From the Mouth of Matuszak: Korea Situation Shakes Off Complacency

Alaskabased Interceptor Missile, Designed to stop North Korean Taepo Dongs, among other threats

Those following world events over the past few weeks may have noticed the Korea situation that's been developing.

Kurt Schlichter, in his weekly Town Hall column, published his fictitious future-history account of how he saw the Korean War ending if hostilities rekindled into all-out war. Most people forget that the Korean War never ended. We are currently in the middle of a very long cease-fire. 

This is not anything new. This cycle started with Kim Jong Un's grandfather, Kim Il-Song. His father, Kim Jong-Il continued the tradition. Now, Un is just following in their footsteps.

Looking back over the past 15 years, there is a noticeable trend. The North Koreans conduct a test or two in the early spring. Next, as the spring thaws make it bearable, they begin some military exercises near the DMZ. Meanwhile, the current Kim Jong Tyrant utters threats. Sometimes the oligarchy does some form of socio-economic rain dance complete with banging drums to represent thunder.

Recent eyebrow-raising tests have included when, under Il, North Korea test-fired No Dong and Taepo Dong missiles. One such test, in 1998, sent the missile over Japan and into the ocean. It demonstrated a potential capability to range Alaska. 

Usually, the allied forces in South Korea counter with their own exercises.

Sometimes, North Korea infiltrates some of their special operations and reconnaissance personnel. Sometimes those people get caught like in 1996 when their submarine was compromised.

The dance goes on for a couple of months. Then the rhetoric quells. The North Korean leader gains some face-points with his subjects and the world stage. The rest of the world sighs in relief. Nothing of real substance is gained or lost on either side.

Eventually, summer comes. Summer and winter are not overly favorable to North Korea. The winters bring harsh conditions to the mountains. Those conditions can cause mechanical issues for military equipment. They also tend to bring down the morale of any poor infantry slob that North Korea would force to fight in them.

Spring thaws out the mountains. The rice paddies thaw creating an almost natural obstacle. This allegedly may slow the advance or counter-attack by allied forces. The reality has not been tested in modern times. However, in the 1950s, it was a fact of life.

US Forces Korea, Allied Forces Korea, and a few US Based military units conduct a large joint exercise each spring as well. We have been doing so for years and years. 

During summer, those paddies dry significantly. Historically, North Korea and the Kim Jong Tyrants have been thoughtful of this. Just as the paddies are thought to slow any potential counter-attack, summer enables them.

So what makes this year any different?

North Korea tested a nuclear explosive device. The device may or may not be ready for weaponizing in the near future.

North Korea evicted all South Korean workers from the Kaesong Industrial Plant. The plant, just north of the DMZ, was meant to be a partnership. It was meant as a commercial opportunity for peace. But Un ordered it closed off to the South. South Korea cut funding. Now the plant is closed, or will be shortly.

Most likely, Un will use his state-run propaganda "media" to tell people it was closed to protect the North Koreans who worked there from being taken advantage of from the evil capitalists. You see, though the workers probably earned better wages and worked under better conditions, they were being taken advantage of.

Then there is the ultimate wildcard. Kim Jong Un is young. His education is much different than his father's.

We knew quite a bit about Il. At one time, there were even some unverified but believable rumors. For instance, Il supposedly had a doctorates in classical music. Allegedly his favorite band was the Bee Gees. Even more outrageous, but believable, was that Il supposedly composed a symphony based upon the band's hits. For this, some began referring to Kim Jong Il as "Disco Stu".

We just do not seem to have that sort of grasp on Un, yet. It may be years before we do.

Un seems more impetuous. He seems less predictable. He is the next generation, and all that comes with it. The generation gap seems to cause some concern among North Korea's military leadership. Yet, they seem poised to blindly follow his orders, regardless.

This lack of predictability does beget an air of caution. We cannot gamble on whether or not North Korea would Nuke the South, or Japan, or Guam, or Russia, or India, or the US. We have to assume Jong-Un would. 

We have to take the stance of "Fear not the country with 100 nukes aimed at the US with the leader stamping his feet and making threats. Fear the one madman with one nuke who will strike without warning."

Taking the above into consideration presents a giant warning sign. More than likely, this is just the same old springtime dance to new music. But the beat has changed. It's a warning against the complacency that built during Kim Jong Il's later years. We must stay ever vigilant.

We cannot flinch. That could give North Korea the excuse to act. We cannot ignore it, either. That would leave us vulnerable should they attack. We have to maintain that zen balance, ready to act when appropriate.

From that perspective, it is just the same old stuff remixed, reheated, and served up again on a different day. Also from that perspective, like any other day, we need to be vigilant, ready, prepared.

This article originally appears at P-G Matuszak's Mental Aikido. Copyright 2013, reprinted with permission. 

Toyota and Honda Recalling 2.4 Million Vehicles

A recall of more than two million vehicles has been announced due to an airbag issue.

Airbags made by Takata Corp. could burst, creating plastic shrapnel.

No injuries or deaths have been reported, but they could result from the problem.

The vehicles were sold in Europe, Japan, and North America.

Toyota is recalling 2000 through 2004 Corolla, Lexus SC, and Tundra models.

Honda is recalling 2000 through 2004 Civic and Odysseys.

Denver Health Lockdowned Thursday

Denver Health was placed on a modified lockdown, for part of Thursday.

The hospital received "credible threats" against their paramedics.

During the lockdown, anyone had to show ID to gain entry or leave.

Otherwise, things went as normal, with treatments and doctor appointments.

No arrests have been made, but a former employee was questioned about the incident.

Tornado Kills 1 After Storms Tear Across Mississippi River Valley

In Kemper County, Mississippi one person was killed when a tornado struck, on Wednesday.

Dozens were injured as storms caused damage through Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri.

Over a hundred homes and other buildings were damaged or destroyed by the high winds.

Only six tornadoes have been confirmed so far this year, about half the normal number.

A cooler March kept conditions from being right as often as is usual.

Texas Bus Crash Leaves 2 Dead, 36 Injured

Two people were killed when a bus crashed in Irving, Texas, on Thursday.

Another thirty-six were injured, three critically, when the bus went off the side of the road, struck a barrier, and careened across traffic to hit the median and land on it's side.

No other vehicles were involved.

The bus had been filled with senior citizens on their way to an Oklahoma casino.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the accident.

Uruguay Approves Homosexual Marriage

Uruguay's Congress approved homosexual marriage, on Thursday.

Seventy-one of the ninety-two members of the lower chamber voted to legalize the bill, which had already been approved by the upper, with a vote of twenty-three to eight.

President Jose Mujica, who has been throwing his full support behind the bill, is expected to sign it within the next weeks.

The bill also allowed for homosexual couples to decide on the order of surnames of children they adopt.

13 Killed in Clashes Between Egypt's Copts and Muslims

Copts and Muslims continue their clashes in Cario, and other cities in Egypt.

Security forces have continued to try and keep the two sides apart, but have not been completely successful.

The latest round of violence began on Sunday, and has seen thirteen killed.

Eight of them were killed in Cairo, while five died in Khosoos.

Over a hundred more have been injured in the violence.

This violence has been the worst non political sectarian violence, since Morsi became President.