I discuss how government policies linking employment to health insurance create a powerful incentive for your boss to control his costs by controlling your lifestyle.
My takehome point:
...[I]t’s wrong for the government to use economic carrots and sticks to induce private employers to become enforcers of healthy behavior. This is just a subtler form of “nanny state” controls, such as NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg outlawing soft drinks he considers unhealthy.
And once employers start monitoring employee behavior on the grounds of “health costs,” there’s no end to the potential meddling. Who will be the next politically disfavored group after smokers or the obese? Do we want bosses discouraging their employees from owning guns or enjoying mountain biking on the weekends? This is a dangerous road.(Read the full text of "Big Brother Has A New Face, And It's Your Boss".)
