Maryland state employees who receive government health benefits will be mandated to participate in a state wellness program effective Jan. 1, or face a mandatory $50 penalty.
The wellness program is designed to improve the health of the state employee workforce of more than 250,000 people, according to The (Baltimore) Daily Record. The state hopes that the mandate will decrease the amount which taxpayers spend on state employees’ health care bills by at least $4 billion over the next decade, The Frederick News-Post reported.
According to The Daily Record, in the program’s first year, participants must choose an in-network primary care physician, and with them create a “health risk assessment” evaluating potential health hazards each program participant faces.
In 2016, program participants must finish a nutrition education or weight management program, and undergo health care screenings keyed to their age group or gender, such as colonoscopies and mammograms.
But it’s not just state employees who will be required to participate in the wellness-program—retirees, and spouses covered by state insurance will also have to take part in this initiative.
According to the Associated Press, the penalties will become more stringent in coming years, increasing to approximately $450 for participants who do not comply with their health screenings or treatment plans by 2017.