Medical Insurance

Until medical insurance companies rate their premiums against risk they do their members who are fit and healthy (and the community at large) a grave disservice.

In Australia where I live they are not allowed to do this. It's illegal. Similarly with the Australian Goverment's Medicare tax levee. From memory it's around 2% of taxable income, but it should be closer to 8%, take off:
-  1% if you're less than 30% body fat for men and 40% for women
-  1% if you can do 35 x 20m laps in five minutes
-  1% if you can do 20 situps
-  1% if you can do 20 press-ups
-  1% if you can do 20 squats
-  1% if you can sit up straight with your legs crossed.

You can read all about this approach on this link where the Musculo-skeletal Health Risk assessment and the Fit-for-Work Award are outlined in the workers compensation context. The same thing should apply.

http://www.millerhealth.com.au/fit_for_work/index.htm

Paying part of a gym membership is an input. Premiums should be rated on output. If you can reach the Gold Award on the Fit-for-Work Award, I'd say you're a pretty safe bet. Why should people who are keeping themselves in dreadful shape pay the same insurance as those who keep themselves in good shape?

Attaching benefits to gym clubs ignores those people who keep themselves fit outside those clubs. They run, swim, cycle ..., do physical jerks at home.

Reimbursement for wellness and prevention services is baloney. Reward output.

The gyms should be the place where people can go once or twice a year to have their fitness measured (at their own expense).

I believe that the stimulation of the hip pocket nerve will be the most effective way to raise the level of fitness in the community.

In the meantime stay tuned, highly tuned and remember, you can't solve a fitness problem with a medical solution.