Wellness plan remains an option

SANDPOINT — Bonner County commissioners declined on Tuesday to adopt policies establishing an employee wellness program and preventing tobacco users from being hired.

But the policies proposed by Commissioner Mike Nielsen remain under consideration as the board tries to get its arms around rising medical costs.

Nielsen moved for the adoption of the policies, but the motion found no second with commissioners Lewie Rich or Cornel Rasor.

The commission ultimately agreed to table the items until the county finishes reviewing more than a dozen insurance broker proposals which have wellness program components.

If implemented, the wellness program would result in higher insurance premiums for elected and appointed county officials who have unhealthy lifestyles and no plans to change.

The proposal ran into stiff opposition from elected and appointed county officials on Tuesday. Some called it corrosive to morale and discriminatory, while others questioned the program’s short-term savings to taxpayers and doubted it would be enough to sidestep impending layoffs.

Clerk Marie Scott and Assessor Jerry Clemons have been vocal critics of the proposed wellness program. Treasurer Cheryl Piehl said the proposal is moving too swiftly without employee input.

Sheriff Daryl Wheeler said he supports a policy against hiring tobacco users and said the wellness program has its merits. However, he said it would be premature to adopt such a program without additional information or input from employees.

Wheeler pointed out that employees have not received increased-cost-of-living raises in several years.

“It’s another hit on employees,” said Wheeler.

Scott Bauer, the board’s civil counsel, said the county would not run into trouble discriminating against tobacco users because they are not a protected class.

 But officials bristled at the concept of being forced to hire less experienced or skilled employees simply because they do not use tobacco. Others anticipated the program would lead to unnecessary medical testing, doctors second-guessing one another and increased prescription medication costs.

The limitations and shortcomings of using body mass index was also raised.

Sharon Mead, an employee in the county assistance office, predicted that insurance premiums would climb regardless of a wellness program and urged the commission to conduct a vote among county employees.

“The employees deserve a vote,” she said.

Rich has not voiced support for the program, while Rasor has.

“Insurance is a privilege, not an entitlement,” said Rasor, who blamed rising medical costs on the federal government’s increasing intrusion into people’s lives.

Both Rich and Rasor expressed unease with how quickly the proposal is advancing and were amenable to an advisory votes by county workers.

Nielsen rejected claims that he sees employees as liabilities instead of assets and defended the concept of a wellness program, which is gaining traction in public and private work sectors. Kootenai County officials are also considering adopting a wellness program

“A wellness program, folks, is part of our future,” he said.