Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Blocks Government Effort To Bar Honeywell's Wellness Program
Honeywell International Inc. (HON) defeated the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s bid for a court order preventing it from penalizing workers who don’t participate in a corporate wellness program. After hearing arguments today, U.S. District Judge Ann Montgomery in Minneapolis denied the agency’s request to block the company from assessing the health insurance-related surcharges. Montgomery was asked to decide whether the wellness program, which Honeywell said was enacted in furtherance of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, conflicts with other federal laws. Saying she wasn’t ready to make even a preliminary determination, she allowed the company’s practices to continue. (Hawkins and Harris, 11/3)
A U.S. district judge in Minneapolis is allowing Honeywell to begin penalizing workers who refuse to submit to biometric or medical tests. A federal agency had asked the judge to block the program. (Collins, 11/3)