chapter 2 - the health coordinator

Megan, the new company health coordinator, was setup at a folding table just outside of the health screening area. Of course, she would be in front of God and everybody, Emily thought to herself. Emily had little interaction with Megan since she started that year, but enough for Emily to know that she seemed fake and was obviously right out of college.

As Emily walked up to Megan's table, Megan announced to everyone in the room, "Remember, you don't need to see me unless your health screener tells you to."

With that, Emily had to fight the urge to roll her eyes as she approached her.

"Hi, the nurse said I should see you.", Emily said.

Megan looked up at her with a fake smile. "Sure, here please sit down."

Emily sat down in the small folding chair in front of Megan's table, her ass hanging off the sides of the chair.

"May I see the assessment?", Megan asked her.

"OK...", Emily replied, wondering how this did not violate HIPAA laws, and handed her the health assessment. Megan took it from her and looked it over, periodically looking up and glancing at Emily. After a couple of minutes, she looked at Emily and frowned, saying, "I am afraid you don't qualify for the preferred rate with these results. You can only have 1 negative health factor and still qualify, and you have 3: obesity, a high waist circumference, and your blood pressure was high."

"I think I was just nervous, that is why my blood pressure was high.", Emily quickly replied.

"Did being nervous increase your weig.....", Megan stopped herself, and put her big fake smile on again. Emily asked, "How much is the non-preferred rate?"

Megan, "It's another $210 dollars a pay period."

Emily, "I can't afford that. Is there anything else I can do?"

Megan, "Yes of course, you just have to participate in a healthy weight program and an exercise program."

Emily, disgusted at the idea of this asked, "Why do we have to do this now? We had good insurance here, why did we change it?"

Megan replied, "The company felt like it was unfair that our employees that make good health choices in their lives should have to subsidize those employees that don't."

This is just getting worse and worse, Emily thought to herself. She asked, "What do I have to do then?"

Megan put on her big fake smile again and said, "It's easy. The weight loss meetings are here at work, and we have a personal trainer come in to work with you in the company fitness center. Do you know where the company fitness center is?"

Emily tersely replied, "Yes of course I know where the company fitness center is. I have worked here for 10 years."

Megan, her fake smile even bigger now, "I just didn't know if you had ever used it. I guess you probably would have used the restrooms in there at some point though."

Emily, "I know where it is."

Megan, "Great. The weight loss meetings are one a week, and you can meet with the personal trainer in the fitness center before work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We will even let your manager know why you will be late those days."

God it just keeps getting worse, Emily thought to herself.

Megan handed Emily a form and said, "Just fill this out and get it back to me so we can get you started and keep you on the preferred rate."

Emily took the form from her and left the conference room, feeling as though everyone in there was staring at her as she walked out.

That evening, Emily ate nearly half a gallon of ice cream while watching Netflix, disgusted with everything that happened at work that day.