should smokers pay more for health insurance debateshould smokers pay more for health insurance debate

Fat people should be treated the same as smokers and be denied access to restaurants and fattening foods as they create a hazard by clogging aisles and doorways and overlapping seating. Once you start separating the herd you'll need to take out sky divers, surfers, race car drivers, anorexics, clumsy people, etc., etc., etc. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Yes, they should pay more. But do ethicists belong at the table? Insurance is collective protection against risk. A person with emphsema is a tremendous cost to the health care system and it is primarily caused by smoking. Please read the comment policy. ET to see if Jack reads your answer on the air. Carol Duh-Leong is a medical student who blogs atProgress Notes. No need to play big brother by charging people more for health insurance. So why should healthy people pay subsidize healthcare for unhealthy people? Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. Tagged as: I guess I am just thinking of people who are certainly hurting themselves and will one day end up needing care for their risky behavior if they don't die from something else first. Those that drink alcohol excessively?, those that engage in unprotected sex?, abuse prescricption drugs and painkillers? Why should those who have healthy habits subsidise them? The fact of the matter is that these people are just enablers. Every month, you calculate what you might have spent on health insurance had the individual been a smoker or obese and give them half. Many people do not belong to gyms and still find other ways to exercise. *Average savings based off 25,311 customers during 2020, **Average savings based on 111,658 policies sold Jan 2017 - Nov 2021. We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. Voluntary choices are made around individual smoking and eating habits and companies may likewise choose to acknowledge these habits as liabilities. Multiply the number of packs you smoke in a week by the cost of cigarettes to find out how much you can save by not smoking. Probably, as long as it does not lead to a denial of care or rates so high that they go uninsured. The benchmark for all insurance underwriting is computed by an exposure to risk formula. Or you don't wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle or bicycle? You will be notified in advance of any changes in rate or terms. How about a history of premature births or child development problems in the family? And its not guarenteed that all smokers will burden the health care system. These of course probably don't have insurance at all. There should be more places where only smokers can smoke freely. Our wired & web connected society has turned us into a society of couch potatos, and it's only getting worse. My ex-doctor had 9 signs on the wall of his waiting room stating cash for service rendered and no Medicare accepted. The health insurance industry unexpectedly began to support a plan for universal health insurance for American citizens. On the Ground, Its More Complicated. No. These folks just wants to get more money from other. Dont blame it on the sunshine, dont blame it on the moonlight, dont blame it on the good times, blame it on the Economy. Well you ask for my opinion!!". Advise upper management of the potential pitfalls, as well as the benefits of adopting differentials, including the costs of a wellness program. Likewise, the ideal customer for the health insurance companies are those who are perfectly healthy and not in need of insurance. After all they are more likely to have higher health care costs! for charging me more for healthcare. Tobacco is addictive, and quitting can be tough. Or a family history of pancreatic cancer? But not enough employees have signed up or improved their health. That one's a bit harder because while being overweight, such as gross obesity, is a health issue, being overweight is relative and doesn't have as close a correlative relationship to health as smoking does. Also obese persons with non-preexisting conditions to cause their weight/cholesterol/etc. People smoke and never get cancer, people who do not smoke and have cancer, over weight people may be due to other medical problems and they already have problems trying to get insurance. Here's my question to you: Should smokers and fat people pay more for health care? California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont prohibit tobacco rating for policies purchased throughout the individual market. Offering health insurance is a choice employeers can make, so why should employeers have to to pay more for an employee who knowingly chose to live a unhealthy lifestyle? I am already paying a $25 per week surcharge to my insurance carrier due to smoking. Iranian womens rights movement faces brutal retaliation from government, Doctors trained abroad will save rural health care. Compare Club makes it simple to choose a better energy plan. Or a family history of colon cancer? If the answer is a choice between free behavior modification/education and wasting money on junk food, and they choose to waste money, this will decrease the money for waste, and encourage adopting behavior to save that money. 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You'll be able to breathe better. Of course, this is America, corporations are free to do anything they want and individuals pay all the freight. I Jack gain weight if I try to live on 500, 1000, or even 1500 calories a day. Abstract. For example, if the cost of insurance is more than 9.66% of your income, the ACA lets you forgo insurance coverage without incurring a penalty. Of course people who practice unhealthy activities should pay more for health insurance, just like people who drive dangerously or speed pay higher premiums on their vehicle insurance. Sure why not? Those who profit from the illness of others have convinced the media that their claims are legitimate, that their goals are lofty, that their aim is health (!!! This means you're less likely to wind up in hospital with a serious disease caused by smoking; in turn, this puts a reduced burden on your wallet. A massive wave of Covid infections has begun now that China has ended much of its zero Covid policy. Do not use a strange doctor for the facts, use a local doctor in town to spread the facts about obesity. It says smokers consume about 25% more health care services than nonsmokers. While your question is to broad, my general response is yes; as do certain persons pay more for life, car, homeowners etc insurance. The company dropped it due to lack of interest. About the Author So if you are going to charge more for those that smoke or are living large for insurance, then by all means add in those that partake in drugs and alcohol. 'Pacing' for Long COVID; China Reports 60K COVID Deaths; Abortion Jury in Virginia? This surcharge is also known as tobacco rating, and states may opt out or . As word spreads what the changes. Sure. What's next then? Both goals are important and necessary in todays business climate. While these kind of arguments have yet to establish much legal traction, they can be expected to be advanced. 1 cause of preventable disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The penalty for smoking will depend on where you live or work. Or enjoy cook outs eating hamburgers and hot dogs? Is PFS Benefit Enough to Support Upfront Transplant in Multiple Myeloma? It has had significant effects on obesity throughj dirt control in schools, Tougher laws on DWI are certainly needed, too. Second. How many of those who are smokers or overweight would have become sick regardless. If we start down this road than the next thing it would be, anyone with a history of cancer or any other known health problems in their genetic background, would have their Health Care canceled or would have to pay some ridiculous price. Smoking causes alot of problems not only for the smoker, but for the people around. Jack.you've just described 50% of America !!! Then we get into a whole debate over which stupid behavior deserves discounted healthcare and which doesn't. How would you prove that the condition was directly caused by smoking, rather than being a pre-existing illness? I think people are stressed out with todays world, They have/show no feelings for themselves. People that are overweight also are electing to be overweight. However, lying is fraud, and you can be denied coverage if you misrepresent yourself. Founded in 2004 byKevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the webs leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories. Or addicted to prescription medication? Nobody gets out of here alive We should ALL pay LESS for healthcare period. Sign up to Stock Advisor for $79 for 1 year, All Jeans + Pants 25% off! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. We have no control over these companies, their offers, website content, products/services, or the availability and nature of their products/services. What do the smokers think? If you include those who consume alcohol in there i will say yes. Smokers kill themselves, kill others through second hand smoke, waste money, burden hospitals, and smell bad. And while we're at it let's throw in really tall people because you never see any really old really tall people around; and drivers too, because automobile accidents kill more people than just about anything else, don't they? These people are choosing to eat more than they burn. Get in touch. Jack, the answer is simple. Fair is fair! He has a brain tumor. Why stop at smokers and the obese. Well, it sounds like a good idea but what yard stick would be used to determined to measure fatness or does smoking medical weed count. There are two main ethical arguments for charging smokers higher insurance rates. It always seems people don't do something until it hits their pocketbook. These effects arent limited to the person sucking on the cigarette, either exposure to second hand smokeis also problematic. P.S:- I am not a somker or fat(atleast for now) so no bias aganist smokers. Working-age Americans are not legally required to purchase health insurance. If we are to receive adequate healthcare in this very backward country, we must rein the medical industry in tightly. If you use too much insulinyou'll gain weight (who ever you are). Information found on the CompareClub website is for general purposes only. They do, Jack. The increased tobacco excise taxes are also filling up government coffers to the tune of an estimated $8 billion each year. How much do you think a video cassette player would sell for these days? "My answer is no they should not pay more, they already pay far more than there share of the tax if they smoke, now if they are overly-fat then it is different as they eat through greed and nothing more. What to do next? Isn't it time somebody DONE somthing about this stuff ?! If they reinstated it and jacked the rates for unhealthy people it might do a world of good all around. Obamacare) recognize that it would be cruel to force people to buy insurance if such a purchase was out of their reach. Why should people who make an effort to stay healthy be penalized when people who are willingly and knowingly partaking in detrimental activities pay the same amount. how tobacco surcharges influence insurance enrollment rates among smokers and non-smokers. Why would us healthier employees have to foot their hiking rate of insurance for them? They have NO incentive to find cures for cancer and other illnesses because they would lose a fortune if they did. "let the Insurance companies charge anyone a penalty, Get free updates delivered free to your inbox. RELATED:The surprising reason why more women are smoking than men. Not surprisingly, implementing a differential does involve some risk. Another incentive. Instead, outlaw tobacco and educate everyone on better diets. It's a habit that's known to have a detrimental impact on your health. If you are in a dangerous occupation either you or your employer gets a larger bill. Lastly I don't want to hear about poor people being harmed by this. Although most states allow the surcharge to be up to 50 percent, its not happening, she says. Founded in 2010, CCI is the webs premier globalindependentnews source for compliance, ethics, risk and information security. J is a 21-year-old male with multiple disabilities. The reason for the move has come because companies are saying smokers cost them more money in medical costs and so the extra cost is just being passed down. The price of car insurance is based on driving record. Should smokers and fat people pay more for health care? Russian TV Touts a Big Victory in Ukraine. By the number of cigarettes a person smokes in a day? We all know that if we do the right things (exercise, eat properly, stop smoking, drink in moderation and take medications to prevent disease from getting worse) we will all spend less on healthcare. Sadly, yes ! Besides, if you make obese people a political issue you will lose at the ballot box because most of are obese. But such surcharges are misguided. Yes, Jack. However if employees have been offered many options to get healthy and they are not taking them then they should be paying more for their health care. If you don't follow their instructions, then your premiums should go way up. Let me get this straight, "the not poor" buy "the poor" food, while "the poor" buy cigarettes. I don't like the idea of making anyone pay more (people pay enough as it is), I think discounts for good behavior would be appropriate. If you get a lot of speeding/reckless driving tickets or accidents you paay more for auto insurrance-same principle. I excersize daily and I have a positive outlook on life. Policies should account for individual variations in health risk and may need to be revised if they produce have unintended negative consequences for smokers access to care and health. Non-smokers in particular think that smokers should pay higher health insurance premiums: 65 percent of non-smokers expressed this opinion, compared with 38 percent of people who smoke only occasionally and 18 percent of those who smoke daily. For what the price of Health Care is today here in America there are many countries in the world that have a healthcare plan for everyone at half the cost. As one who quit smoking 40+ years ago and has struggled throughout my life with my weight, I've been able to control both problems without the aid of health club memberships, weight loss programs etc. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. You bet, Jack. It never ends. Compare Club makes finding a home loan simple. Mayor Adams said we have a moral obligation to help people who are mentally ill. It might feel right to charge smokers more for their insurance. I realize this is a difficult area to try to control as some activites are based on genetic predisposition, etc. Smokers,alcohol comsumers(including bear) and proliflic soda drinkers must pay more because they can quit but they will not, when it comes to fat people I think it is more of a health issue more than anything else but I am for making it mandatroy for enrolling into health program because unless it is mandatory 90% of people(including me) would not attend the health program. Some potential state law concerns also could arise with a differential. A natural response . While smokers pay much higher premiums for life cover, they generally do not pay more for health cover. Four-fifths of states follow that protocol, though most employer-based . Anyone that does any dangerous activities, also. Charging a higher premium for established smokers will either at best encourage people to stop smoking immediately in order to access health insurance or at worst deter smokers from signing up for health insurance in the first place. I have no idea how the specifics would play out. The under-25s are least likely to support the principle of solidarity in healthcare, with almost half saying leading an unhealthy lifestyle is grounds for higher health insurance premiums. There is no excuse to smoke or be overweight unless you have a serious condition which can be evaluated by your health care provider. (As usual, check state and local laws to be sure.) Policies that are adopted should be fair and not undermine smokers access to health care. Therefore, any reliance placed on the information provided on the CompareClub website is at the user's own risk. What Scrub Color Should Surgeons Probably Avoid? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. How would you feel about riding in a car that drives itself? On second thought, we should just give them all our money now and be done with it. By some sort of body mass formula? Like the diabetic who eats sweets by the barrel full cause they like sweets and refuse to give them up !i mean let's have a little common sence about this ! This practice may lead many people to forego health insurance even though they may have to pay a fine under the ACA. Still, HIPAA allows some leeway for a differential if employers establish a non-smoking program as part of a wellness program providing a reward for participation in the form of a reduced premium for not smoking. Jeopardy without a thermos of hot tea or a pack of splints, or boaters who cross the Pacific and get tossed overboard, should be charged more as well, including for the helicopters required to haul their sick bodies home.

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