County employees incentive-ized to take part in new screening program

Dubois County employees and their dependents spouses will now need to participate in annual health screenings to be eligible for county insurance benefits.

Commissioner Doug Uebelhor and members of the County Health and Wellness Committee — the committee includes members of the county council, county health department and employees of Memorial Hospital — presented the new plan to the Dubois County Council Monday evening.

Screenings are scheduled to occur at four locations over four scheduled days in August and September. Employees also have a 60 day window around those dates to complete the screening using their own doctors. The screenings this year will provide a baseline of the overall health of the employees and their dependents for the county to develop a program to potentially lower or maintain the county’s insurance cost. Once the baseline is established the county plans on administering incentives to employees to maintain healthy habits.

Through the County Health and Wellness Committee plans the county hopes to avoid the cost of catastrophic heart attacks and strokes that can significantly increase the health costs for the county.

The screening provided by Memorial Hospital will include blood pressure, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference,  cholesterol profile, a chemistry panel, and glucose test and will cost $37 to the county per participant.

Councilman Jerry Hunefeld credits the health screening in detecting his cancer.

The council approved advertising for $17,710 to fund the new program being facilitated through Memorial Hospital and the Dubois County Health Department.

This program does not include the children of employees.