CVS Pharmacy wants workers’ health information, or they’ll pay a fine

Is it an invasion of privacy? Or a way to entice workers to improve their health?

CVS, one of the nation's largest drug store chains, has told its 200,000 employees around the country they must have a doctor verify their weight, body fat, blood pressure and other levels - or face a $600 annual penalty on their health insurance.

The company is giving workers until May 2014 to decide.

Patients rights advocates are crying foul.

"It's technology enhanced discrimination on steroids," said Patients Privacy Rights Advocate Dr. Deborah Peele.

ABC News Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser says greater focus on employee health is welcome news... all CVS needs is a better approach.

"I think that's a good thing but do it with incentives rather than penalties," he said.

In an e-mail, CVS explained that their benefits program is evolving "to help our colleagues take more responsibility for improving their health and managing health associated costs."

CVS also claims that the company never sees the test results..saying the doctors give the results to an independent company for a review but there are plenty of skeptics.