Comments on: Will Run for Money

By: Will Run for Health » Complete Running Network

Will Run for Health » Complete Running Network — Wed, 02 May 2007 11:56:47 +0000

[...] Lee Miller wrote a piece arguing that, due to health care savings and productivity increases inherent in being more fit, [...]

By: Dr. Lee Miller D.C.

Dr. Lee Miller D.C. — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 02:45:28 +0000

The numbers don’t lie! It appears that one way to approach this is to allow the corporate sector to become involved in their own best interests. This is probably a more likely scenario in the United States since health care is privatized. In Canada I do know of some larger companies that reimburse employees for health club memberships. In fact the city of Edmonton has a program for civic employees getting discounts at city run sports centers. So this is not as far out idea as one would think!

By: gregontherun

gregontherun — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 01:35:16 +0000

I think I’ll talk to the boss tomorrow and show him the numbers. He bears part of the cost for my health insurance so if I show him a way he can save some money, he might go for some kind of reimbursement program.

By: 21stCenturyMom

21stCenturyMom — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:02:53 +0000

I read somewhere else that some senator is trying to pass a bill to make payments to health clubs part of a pre-tax program. I don’t think we need that – we just need to add ‘health club membership’ to the existing pre-tax ‘flexible spending’ program we have. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, if you company supports it you can allocate $X/year to be deducted from your pay before taxes are collected but you have to “use it or lose it” and it can only be used for specific things like medical costs and childcare. It’s a very good (and already established) program and I fully endorse adding ‘health club memberships’ to the list. I do not endore generating yet another program to handle this. All programs have associated costs and overhead.

The state of Maine is nuts to tax health club memberships. I get the reasons for doing it but it seems like raising the tourism tax would be a better solution.

By: Funky Dung

Funky Dung — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:38:27 +0000

I like the idea of rewarding good behavior better than punishing bad behavior (e.g., so-called sin taxes). These days I think there’s too much application of the stick, and not enough carrot-dangling. Neither works well without the other.

By: Blaine Moore (Run to Win)

Blaine Moore (Run to Win) — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:43:26 +0000

The problem in Maine is that we (a) have some of the highest health care costs in the country and (b) have the second highest tax burden in the country.

I have to side with Joe until we get some of our other spending problems under control, because I can’t afford to have my taxes raised more.

That being said, I don’t want them to raise taxes on health clubs. I’d rather cut spending than raise taxes.

By: Dr. Lee Miller D.C.

Dr. Lee Miller D.C. — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 22:09:57 +0000

Hey Joe. I think this is where we will see the difference between Canada and the USA. In Canada, health care is socialized, so the government is already part of the problem or solution depending on one’s opinion. In the USA you folks have a real hot potato issue on whether government should or shouldn’t be part of the equation, and this is where we likely will see some fireworks in this discussion.

By: Joe Ely

Joe Ely — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:42:36 +0000

Let’s keep government efforts at social intervention out of the equation. The Law of Unintended Consequences will mess it up.

I’ll take my health, the lower costs associated with it, the higher work productivty and enjoy the gains. Myself. I don’t want to have to fill out any more forms.

By: Dr. Lee Miller D.C.

Dr. Lee Miller D.C. — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:46:10 +0000

Hi Denis and Blaine!
The whole concept of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is completely applicable to countries that wish to have a healthier and more productive population and economy. These go hand in hand. There are numerous studies (which I didn’t mention in my article) that support government endorsement and reimbursement for active citizens. I think people need to push their local governments to look at this concept as an investment in their people, and in society in general.

By: Blaine Moore (Run to Win)

Blaine Moore (Run to Win) — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:35:45 +0000

Here in Maine, they are thinking of removing the tax exemption for health clubs. This means that not only would we have to pay our membership fees, but we’d have to pay sales tax on those membership fees at all.

I am hoping that they realize that that is a bad idea.