should smokers pay more for health insurance debate

Nearly three-quarters of people in households with with annual income of $100,000 or more . If I take up smoking or get fat, I'm applying for a government job. If you drive an expensive or exotic car you pay more for insurance. This is a stupid idea. Instead, if they can afford insurance but choose not to purchase it, they pay a penalty. 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. My son had a hemoglobin test before an emergency surgery, and now our insurance considers him diabetic, which he is not, and we have not been able to get them to change this. It needs to be a flat rate for everyone. Figure out how much you'll save. Ive had the privilege of knowing more than a few extraordinarily brilliant people from whose mouths seemed to spill spontaneous gems of polished prose. Read Should Ethicists Be at the Table in Public Health Policy Deliberations? The key difference between life insurance for smokers and non-smokers is the likelihood of being accepted and the cost. Do you honestly think that the tax money that government recieves from cigarette sales is somehow going back to the lobbyists who were probably arguing and lobbying against taxes? Got a news tip? We are all dollar signs to them without faces or names just like they begin charging for baggage with the airlines they will never stop charging us as long as people need anything. For your family? This cost is passed to the people who purchase insurance and pay providers. When insurance companies price smokers out of their products, we all pay. The bottom line is when you combine these problems with the fact that we work too much as a society, and leave little time for physical activity and recreation , we have a big problem. Some also argue that hiking smokers premiums serves as an incentive for them to kick the habit. And let's be clear here, it is overwhelmingly statistically supported that smokers and the overweight suffer health issues and require more money. Why stop at smokers and the obese. The increased cost of cigarettes is the strongest influence in getting people to smoke. But should smokers pay more for health insurance? If you don't like it, do something about it. Penalties include higher insurance premiums and deductibles for those who aren't participating in the company's health programs and those engaged in risky health behavior, like smoking. No. It is the leading risk factor for death and disease in Australia. It doesn't matter how long or short they live. People who work in office jobs and sit all day since that's terrible for you? Whether you currently use tobacco or have recently quit, healthcare for smokers is paramount. Abstract. Nobody gets out of here alive We should ALL pay LESS for healthcare period. Edit: Striking out last sentence because I'm an idiot. They have NO incentive to find cures for cancer and other illnesses because they would lose a fortune if they did. prehaps they will be more motivated to change their behavior and adopt more healthy habits. Sadly in America we have far more unhealthy people than healthy so this will probably be resisted and some groups will get involved and say it's discrimination. Or somewhat young in age and more prone to colds than older folks? Should fertile women have to pay more for health insurance than women who can't reproduce? The tobacco industry needs 5,000 new smokers every day to stay afloat. However, before employers can levy the surcharge they must give smokers an opportunity to qualify for nonsmoker rates by offering a way for them to quit. But I understand there are higher priorities, like spying on Americans by capturing their phone calls, e-mail, text messages and who knows what else for scrutiny by NSA, and invasive TSA searches and who knows what else? According to the utilitarian argument, charging smokers more will encourage them to quit, which will improve public health and reduce societys smoking-related costs. Already a member? and people might get healthier. Quitting is hard, and you don't have to go it alone. In addition, the ACA tries to make insurance affordable for more people by subsidizing the price of their insurance. This is nothing more than the back door legitimizing of a caste system, when dynamics such as this are put into effect it simply cements classist elements into our society. the reward is no more than 20 percent of the total premium; the program is reasonably designed to promote health and prevent disease; eligible employees must be given an opportunity to qualify for the reward at least once per year; and. Charging smokers higher health insurance premiums is no more objectionable than imposing taxes on tobacco products, alcohol, guns, or gasoline. These of course probably don't have insurance at all. No need to play big brother by charging people more for health insurance. And where would you draw the line and how would you adjust rates? Posted by Susan Gilbert at 09/19/2013 02:47:13 PM|. Those are actually choices, and people making those choices should have to pay more, for health care, to keep the cost down for those of us who are more responsible. They should only be charged more if 1) their habits actually incur measurably more cost, and 2) those individuals without the same habits get a discount. If you use too much insulinyou'll gain weight (who ever you are). They've introduced weight loss programs or classes to help people stop smoking. You may change your billing preferences at any time in the Customer Center or call There, I saw firsthand the incredibly high rate of smoking in a population that was mostly hidden from me in my everyday life. Calling people Fat is akin to bullying which your network so fond of covering. Maybe we can answer this by expanding your question: what if a person is an alcoholic? 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. Both are just as costly in care as smoking/weight. Yes. Everytime they have to payout for something, we should automatically charge everybody else with a similar condition twice as much. In 2011, two-thirds of companies with 200 or more employees set up cessation programs to help their smoking employees quit. We have no control over these companies, their offers, website content, products/services, or the availability and nature of their products/services. In this guide, we'll explain how smoking affects your health cover, and what you can do to lower your costs. August 24, 2021. Yes, I think that people who smoke and are obese should pay more in health insurance premiums to offset the increasing costs of their eventual care once they become ill as a result of their unhealthy lifestyle. It might feel right to charge smokers more for their insurance. As a reformed smoker it was hard to quit, but I now save a ton of money by not smoking at 10 bucks a pack. Compare Club makes finding a home loan simple. I applaud the fantastic efforts of Michelle Obama in this regard as we strive to make healthier foods and exercise a part of our daily routine for children. 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. How about smokers and fat people pay for their own health care? I have no idea how the specifics would play out. Why should I continue to support bad behavior by paying for it. Instead of penalizing smokers and obese individuals, reward the the healthy with cash. We deserve the same coverage that our hired help takes for granted. You just have to give a damn. If youre in the market for health insurance, Insure.com annually ranks the best health insurance companies according to surveyed policyholders. Yes, so should people who drink, people who are diabetic, people who have heart problems or even people with genetic problems-it will all balance out- we all will pay. Jack.you've just described 50% of America !!! You bet, Jack. The explanation for this is simply that smokers are more likely to develop health concerns in the future, and therefore represent a greater risk for insurance companies. The GOP would never accept a such an un-American thing as a tax increase on these people. These include, but are not limited to: man buns and beards; whether jam or cream goes first on a scone; the colour of The Dress; and smoking. The health insurance industry unexpectedly began to support a plan for universal health insurance for American citizens. And people who drive more than others, people who work 3 jobs, people who don't work enough, people who drink too much, those that don't drink enough. Whether it's one day, one month, or one year, it's a cause for celebration. 2023 Compare Club, All Rights Reserved. Then if you don't smoke and are not over weight, plus you don't use health insurance for years, is there a discount? Hey this reminds me of car insurance. There is no excuse other than they lack the will to eat less. In a way Jack they already do. The benchmark for all insurance underwriting is computed by an exposure to risk formula. Yes. I think educating them is. Smokers, along with the tobacco industry, should pay to cover healthcare costs associated with their bad habit. 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. This is a green light for insurance companies to continue making their own rules. Jack: Discrimination is against the law. As the figure shows, smokers are less likely to buy insurance under any circumstance, an unwise decision given the likelihood that they will incur higher-than-average healthcare expenses. Why don't we just discriminate more, people who drink should pay more.It doesn't matter to the insurance companies as long as they get money. You will be notified in advance of any changes in rate or terms. No because they aren't going to lower the rates for those that aren't overweight and don't smoke..The rates are created for all by taking into consideration the overweight and the smokers..just like they take into consideration the chance of developing cancer.I grew up about the time a cure for polio was discoveredI don't remember the big refund check from the insurance companies when that threat was eliminated.Insurance companies are just looking to take in more bucks but those that aren't a problem will still pay the same high rates. This is simply the legitimizing, and establishing of a class system here in the U.S. via the Health Care system! However, this smoking surcharge makes the crucial assumption that continuing to smoke is a choice. Yes, they should. This is disgracefull question to ask abt fat people, sme hve reason to be tht way. as for fat people, for many, like some of my wife's relatives, it's a medical condition and being charged more for healthcare would be a "double wammy". By the number of cigarettes a person smokes in a day? Many people do not belong to gyms and still find other ways to exercise. That is the right solution, not charging people more for health insurance because they have a problem. If everyone paid the same rate, nonsmokers would have to share the health-care costs stemming from smokers habits. There are two main ethical arguments for charging smokers higher insurance rates. You get what you reward! A better, but less dramatic solution is to continue an all-out assault on both alcohol abuse and production of food with too much sugar through education, public service, health providers and organizations. His trial work has involved virtually all areas of labor and employment practice, including employment discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, wrongful discharge, FMLA, public accommodation under the ADA and labor litigation. I guess intellectual consistency isn't our strong suit. Sounds like the Republican/Tea Party Health Care Reform Plan to mer. Thanks Jack! A sign promotes COVID-19 vaccines at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital on August 10, 2021 in Lake Charles . Fresh food is cheaper than junk food and less food costs less than more food. Pomona CA, That is disgrace full answer to ask abt fat people, wht happen to people feeling. First, the surcharge makes insurance more expensive, meaning it is harder for people to afford. This is exactly why Australia maintains a community-rated system, so the sick aren't priced out of health cover. The main problem with the actuarial fairness argument is that different smokers may have different risks. How about a history of premature births or child development problems in the family? Is any one of us perfect. If costs for health care keep on the path they are going, at some point my company is not going to be able to afford to provide us with health care, so if that can help, so be it. A disproportionate number of tobacco users, particularly smokers, are racial minorities and come from low-income and less-educated households, according to the American Cancer Society. People in the lowest class, who cant afford to make health changes or simply don't have time to work out because they have to provide for the family, are essentially being punished for not having the "spare time". If they participate and make improvements then there is no impact. Sign up to Stock Advisor for $79 for 1 year, All Jeans + Pants 25% off! Please see our FSG. If I wasn't so blessed, I couldn't afford medical insurance at all. You start slipping down a slippery slope when you single out select segments of the population. Insurance companies argue that its only fair to charge tobacco users more. Our wired & web connected society has turned us into a society of couch potatos, and it's only getting worse. Generally speaking, healthcare costs are higher for smokers, and they often have higher rates of absences. I excersize daily and I have a positive outlook on life. The Affordable Care Act allows insurers to charge smokers up to 50% more than what nonsmokers pay for some health plans. There are health issue associated with those folks as well. If Australia responded to popular demand and moved towards a risk-based system, smokers could find themselves facing higher premiums. That's how many Online Journal readers responded to last week's Fiscally Fit column, which looked at the growing number of firms that are using health-insurance surcharges and other financial penalties to push employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. Here is a question for you all? Cost (the biggest problem with health insurance) might go down (or the insurance companies might just take bigger profits!) We should tax people for smoking, not for receiving health insurance. Image via iStock, Improved life expectancy. upheld hand. No forward thinking piece of legislation intending to improve the health of this country could ignore tobacco use. What do people claim they do but in reality they dont? Smoking tobacco increases your risk of heart disease, lung disease, and other health problems. For individual health plans the kind you buy on your own the Affordable Care Act lets insurance companies charge 50 percent higher premiums for smokers than nonsmokers. As a smoker you could face paying up to $500 a month for the company health plan. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. If smokers opt out of health insurance this could have a detrimental impact on their access to health care and negatively impact their health and well-being. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Why have we let our diseased health care system go untreated? This is nothing but insurance companies ripping off ignorant consumers. Image via iStock, long list of serious and often life-threatening health impacts. Or are light-skinned and prone to sun burns? People are already having to pay to much, and if you already have something such as diabetes you pay more.All I see is greed and another way to make people pay. Want a weekly round-up in your inbox? I Jack gain weight if I try to live on 500, 1000, or even 1500 calories a day. Just as your auto loan down payment and interest rate are computed by your credit, income, stability, etc which creates the exposure to the risk of loan default. smokers and overweight individuals (among many others) require more healthcare services and resources than healthy individuals. This is provocatively simplistic, betrays the lack of decency befouling this country, and represents why government can't leave corporations to run health care. What a concept. Is that what we want for healthcare? Microenvironment May Predict Sustained MRD Negativity in Newly Diagnosed Myeloma, Promise of CTCs in Metastatic Breast Cancer Management. Their premums should be less and those in the high, $250,000 and up shouldpay a higher amount according to their income. Disclaimer: The advertisers appearing on this website are clients from which QuinStreet receives compensation (Sponsors). There are some topics of conversation that never fail to divide a crowd. Keep track of your milestones. For one, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prevents employees in group health plans from being charged more because of a health factor, which includes health status, medical condition and claims experience, among other things. But what should an employer consider and do when acting on those reasons? What are they planning for the medicaid system, smokers and fat individuals that receive public assistance and free insurance. Compare Club Australia Pty Ltd (CCA) is a corporate authorised representative (AFS Representative number 001279036) of Alternative Media Pty Ltd (AFS License number 486326). Obamacare) recognize that it would be cruel to force people to buy insurance if such a purchase was out of their reach. Just look at the people riding the motorized shopping carts. Sure they should, as long as drinkers and potheads follow suit. Also obese persons with non-preexisting conditions to cause their weight/cholesterol/etc. Should auto insurance favor safe drivers with discounts? 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 (!!! Calories in minus calories burned should equal zero. Not because I think your wrong, but because it doesn't make sense to me. Proponents for smokers also argue that as the less affluent, less educated are more likely to smoke and to not participate in smoke cessation programs, imposing a differential has a disproportionate adverse impact, which may amount to racial or national origin discrimination. Read A Warning from China: After the Zero Covid Policy. These people should be paying more money for health insurance. Please read the comment policy. You may opt-out by. Even if such a law exists, all may not be lost, as some state laws may be preempted by federal law. Van Baal and colleagues compared the lifetime health care costs of three groups: smokers, obese individuals, and healthy individuals. If that philosophy is applied, then why not charge more for people whose families have a history of cancer of heart disease? Why not include illegal drug users and alcoholics. when they need their Health Insurance". However, not everyone agrees that this should be the case. we should just make them pay more for their HEALTH care if they end up fat or smoke a pack If a union is in the picture, a differential would probably be a mandatory subject of bargaining. By the 1980s, smokers were already paying more for life insurance than their nonsmoking counterparts. Futhermore, how can anyone say this would hurt poor folks when ciggarettes are $6 per pack, just 1 pack a day is $180 a month they could use for better food or a gym membership. Check with a financial professional before making any decisions. To be fair, policies adopted by employers or insurers would need to apply different rates to different smokers, depending on their individual risk. Translation: people who don't quit smoking, lose weight or lower their cholesterol. This is why you have some health insurance companies charging different premiums for smokers and non-smokers. The financial products compared on this website do not necessarily compare all features that may be relevant to you. Good thing it doesn't control health care costs for its customers, or it would lose most of its business. STAY CONNECTED WITH THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS, Wall-Mart charges smokers more than any other company. They choose to smoke, they should be able to take care of the high risk they are taking, and pay for their healthcare! Sure, many would prefer to have juice and bottled water insetad of soda, organic fruits & vegetables instead of cookies and chips, and gym memberships instead of sitting behind a TV or video game console but many just cannot afford it. However, lying is fraud, and you can be denied coverage if you misrepresent yourself. Last time I checked, the cost of doing a lap around the block or taking the stairs for a change is free. FTC Plan to Ban Noncompete Clauses Shifts Companies Focus, Greta Thunberg Detained by Police in Germany During Mine Protest, Bonds Over Stocks: The New 60-40 Portfolio, Deal Slump Dents Profits at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Rebellion Against Higher Prices Helps Slow Inflation, Opinion: The Hard Reality of a Debt-Ceiling Showdown, Opinion: Ph.D. Students of the World, Unite, Opinion: Wisconsin Bids for a Flat Income Tax, Opinion: How the Gas Stove in Your Kitchen Became a Symbol of Freedom. Lord knows this country needs both. Besides, if you make obese people a political issue you will lose at the ballot box because most of are obese. Self-efficacy is essential "Analysis shows . Instead, outlaw tobacco and educate everyone on better diets. No Jack .That is not a solution.A better idea might be to stop the FDA from allowing food procesors from pouring high fructose corn syrup into everything we eat.First you fed us poison and then you blame us for being poisoned.You want less smokers ?stop all price supports to tobacco producers and cigarette companies.the price wil be out of reach. A recent survey found that 2 out of 3 Australians believed that smokers and people with other unhealthy habits should pay more for their health cover. CCA is a credit rep (Credit Representative Number 519886) of Alternative Media Pty Ltd (ACL Number 486326), please see our Credit Guide. Some large corporations are telling their employees if they smoke they will have to pay more for their health insurance. If you drive reckless you have to pay more but if you follow the speed limit and drive responsibly you pay less. Jack, How many that do smoke get a physical on a yearl basis? However, there is a potential snowball effect that could wind up with young, healthy people paying peanuts, and elderly people being hit with huge bills for health cover. A complete guide to short-term health insurance. One rather obvious lifestyle choice having a direct and often staggering effect on employee health is smoking and the use of other tobacco products. That makes them more expensive, and gives their users more of a reasons to quit. A couple that smokes one pack each day will spend between $3400.00 to $7300.00 a year. thank Jack. Heres how to protect yourself from its side-effects. Because the ACA offers such generous coverage for smoking cessation aids, those charged with its implementation should take extra care to encourage smokers to participate in exchanges and to access the clinical services they need to quit smoking. Smokers miss an average of 6.16 days of work per year compared to 3.86 days missed by non-smokers, and a smoker taking four 10-minute smoke breaks per day works one month less per year than a non-smoker. Obviously they use more health care resources than a single employee. Use whatever they have on hand as weights. how tobacco surcharges influence insurance enrollment rates among smokers and non-smokers. Action that smokers and fat people take is costing Health Care. For one its not any healthier for others that do not smoke with others that smoke around them, What good is paying health insurance, If your health is not on the healthy side. Specifically, they shouldnt have to pay to subsidize the healthcare costs of people who choose to smoke. Why not make health insurance premiums lower for those that take steps to improve their health? Jack, maybe you should ask Herman Cain's campaign Chief of Staff Mark Block if smoker's should pay more- he could do a cheap ad against it. then we must determine just what obese means, and to whom. If they spend more for health insurance, maybe they won't have enough funds for cigarettes or junk food!! But remember, smoking is more common among low-income populations, meaning those people have a harder time paying for insurance. yes. Smokers should be allowed to make lifestyle choices free from coercion from employers, insurers, or the government. Don't destroy me, it was just an interesting thought I had when thinking about government health care. Ms Ley also dismissed claims obese people and smokers could pay more for their private health insurance, but defended the government's right to ask "tough questions" about it given the private health insurance rebate cost it over $6 billion a year. I recently watched obese administrative people at a healthcare facility in Massachusetts shovel potato chips and donuts into their fat faces, and I couldn't help but wonder how someone who works in healthcare could be so oblivious to be so self-destructive. And while you're at it tax them MORE too..its only fair. Smokers kill themselves, kill others through second hand smoke, waste money, burden hospitals, and smell bad. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Wal-Mart, which insures more than 1 million people, is one such company. It is an interesting thought about how that would implicate unhealthy people. By some sort of body mass formula?

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