Politics & Government

Connecticut Workers Get $2.1 Million For Not Participating in Wellness Program

Under an initiative backed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy thousands of state employees identified with serious chronic health problems were paid an incentive to participate in a wellness program which was never offered to them.

Connecticut spent $2.1 million in the latter part of 2012 paying out $100 each in incentives to some 21,344 state workers, money the employees were promised to participate in a wellness program that was never offered to them.

The $2.1 million was part of a stipulated agreement signed Dec. 21 by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration and the state employees' union. It gave each of the workers the $100 after Malloy officials acknowledged that the wellness program, intended to assist workers with chronic illnesses — such as asthma, hypertension and diabetes — was never made available to them, as the administration had promised.

The wellness program was part of a larger deal Malloy struck with the employee unions in 2011 to balance the state budget.

Find out what's happening in Farmingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The $100 payouts has drawn the attention of some state lawmakers who want to know why the state established a financial incentive program for state workers and then failed to provide the health care, the Connecticut Mirror reports today.

"We are literally writing checks for people who did nothing — granted, through no fault of their own," State House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero, R-Norwalk, told the website. "We shouldn't penalize them, but why are we rewarding them? There's something wrong with that picture."

Find out what's happening in Farmingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Malloy officials have placed the blame on the state's health insurance carrier.

"The Health care providers have been unable to provide the education and counseling programs ... in a consistent manner for the plan year ended June 30,2012," the state's Labor Department said in the Dec. 21 stipulated agreement with the workers' union.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here