Everyone Cheats? Step-Tracking and the "Privilege" of Higher Premiums
“Maybe you just want to keep your personal data private without having to pay higher premiums for the privilege.”
The article "Everyone Cheats On Fitness Trackers" makes some odd assertions, like, "This is seen as a win-win for insurers who want you to live longer, so you earn them more money." But once the article gets going, it raises valid points and describes some amusing scenarios, like
"Making health a game of points means employees game the system right back, though they don’t all have hedgehogs."
People ask me, "Yeah, but how small is the proportion of employees who cheat in step-tracking programs, and why should the majority of participants, who are honest, have to suffer the consequences?"
Experience suggests that the proportion of cheaters is not at all small (the headline of this article says "everyone"), though the construct of "cheating" is not always straightforward.
Cheating is especially likely when an incentive is offered. For one spectacular example, see my archived article Do Employees Cheat for Wellness Incentives?