Do You Have An Ethical Responsibility To Your Benefits?

In a recent Time magazine article around donating money, the author makes an interesting point.  He says that if you donate a small amount to a charity, but remain on their mailing list, you may actually cost them money.  They will call you and send you letters asking for money for years.  It poses (indirectly) an interesting question – “do you have an ethical responsibility to remove yourself from their mailing list?”

I think most of us would argue that they shouldn’t keep mailing us unless we opt-in.

But, it made me think about how people use their benefits.  If you’re offered $100 to take a Health Risk Assessment (HRA), but you know that you won’t change anything, is that ok?  If you buy an expensive medicine and know you won’t be adherent to the medication, you’re wasting money…is that ok?

Assuming there is some shared pool of resources that your employer funds for healthcare, what is your ethical responsibility for how that money is allocated?  Generally, they are going to want to spend as much money on prevention that they can…to improve your health.  BUT, everyone hates to spend money which they know is wasted.