Eat More, Move Less, and You Will Pay More

To help cut medical costs, your insurance company may soon be raising premiums if you have unhealthy habits such as

Your insurance company would like you to stop smoking, lose weight and get off the couch – for your health and its financial well-being.

A study of more than 43,000 participants, members of the Arkansas State and Public School Employees Health Plan finds that health care costs are higher for those who report they are obese, are smokers or are physically inactive. All three behaviors are risk factors for medical conditions including heart disease and diabetes.

Although the findings are not startling, this study took in an unusual site for such research, and demonstrated that personal health habits are a big indicator of costs, said lead author Rhonda Hill.

“If we can continue to build on this research, we can use it to both understand our health behaviors and risks and to identify what programs our members need to improve their health,” said Hill, a prevention specialist with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement in Little Rock.

Each self-reported risk factor increased annual costs compared to those for members who were normal weight, did not use tobacco and were active five or more days a week.

The average annual increase in cost was 13 percent higher for people who said they smoked, 45 percent higher for those who were obese, and 33 percent higher for the inactive. The annual increase was 75 percent higher for those who were both obese and inactive. Those who said they had all three risks had 86 percent higher annual costs on average than those with no behavioral risks.

Participants who admitted they had high risks had average annual health care costs of $4,432, but average annual costs were $2,382 for those who did not. Costs also more than doubled for people ages 55 to 64 who said they smoked, were overweight, and inactive compared to those in the same age group who said they had none of those risky behaviors.

“This study highlights the significant cost impact of unhealthy behaviors. Our industry has prioritized this issue and has implemented innovative programs to encourage healthier lifestyles,” said Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesperson for America’s Health Insurance Plans, a health insurance trade association in Washington.

Such programs include providing incentives for healthy behaviors, such as extra days off work for meeting exercise and weight goals, which the Arkansas health plan offers, he said. “This type of research is essential to understanding the key drivers in rising health costs.”

American Journal of Preventive Medicine: June 2009

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DID YOU KNOW: Study Affirms Link between Food Prices, Obesity: A study suggests that food prices can have a significant impact on weight outcomes, United Press International reports. To examine the link, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago performed a meta-analysis of studies published between 1990 and 2008 on the effects of food and restaurant prices on weight outcomes. They found that increasing the prices of unhealthy foods such as fast food and sugar-laden products and lowering the price of fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods is associated with lower body weight and a decreased likelihood of obesity. While the researchers concede that the effects were generally small in magnitude, they were larger in lower-income populations and other groups at high risk for overweight and obesity. The researchers note, however, that the data suggest that applying small taxes to the sale of unhealthy foods and providing subsidies for healthier items is not likely to significantly affect weight. Instead, they state that “nontrivial pricing interventions may have some measureable effects on Americans’ weight outcomes,” particularly among children and adolescents and other at-risk populations.   Milbank Quarterly, March 2009