The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement found health plans for public school and state employees spent, on average, 31 percent more covering obese policyholders or their spouses as opposed to other policyholders in 2015, according to an ArkansasOnline report.
The report included responses from about 69,000 employees or their spouses who completed a 2015 health risk assessment survey.
The report found state health plans spent an average of $4,302 in 2015 on employees and their spouses who were obese compared to the $3,270, on average, for policyholders who weren't obese. In addition, the health plans spent $6,043 in 2015 on policyholders who said they exercised less than 20 minutes per week, compared to the roughly $3,445 spent on those who said they exercised more than 20 minutes per week.
Chris Howlett, director of the Department of Finance and Administration's Employee Benefits Division, told ArkansasOnline the board may look into encouraging healthy behavior for employees and their spouses under the health plans. Some options include discounting premiums for policyholders reaching weight loss goals or maintaining heathy lifestyles.
The insurers cover roughly 45,000 public school employees and 26,000 state employees, according to the report.
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