should smokers pay more for health insurance debate
as for smokers , they no wht will happen to them.. an tht question should been broader n liittle mre respected. 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. Some loss mitigation is appropirate. But that is private health-care, and we're talking about government health care(which I am not sure if I support or not). Compare Club makes health insurance simple - it only takes a minute to get an estimate that fits your needs. I have always thought it odd that smokers are so shunned, at least in part because of the health problems and costs they bring, while the wilfully overweight are victims of the fast food industry. If I wasn't so blessed, I couldn't afford medical insurance at all. Tagged as: We could be next in line just so because we are short. 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. A complete guide to short-term health insurance. As a fat person who hasn't lost a pound since August 5th, there's more to it. That is the right solution, not charging people more for health insurance because they have a problem. Smokers can abstain from smoking if they wish to. Some view them as equivalents of nicotine chewing gum or nicotine skin patches, and others see the product as another form of tobacco use, as life insurers do. Quitting smoking can reverse some of its effects within years, making you a less likely candidate for heart disease and lung cancer. Dave from NH. It seems unfair to those of us that take care of our health? Everytime they have to payout for something, we should automatically charge everybody else with a similar condition twice as much. That means they have to go to the local charity hospital for treatment for care. Not everyone is meant to be a size two. People have known for years that smoking causes a variety of health problems and, especially if these companies are offering programs to assist in quitting, there is no reason nowadays to still be partaking. Anti-cancer groups and the tobacco industry have effectively joined forces to prevent some of the new insurance exchanges from implementing a surcharge for smokers. Establishing a compliant wellness program with a smoking cessation program and alternative mechanisms for some smokers, are key components of any decision to impose a differential. Read New York Citys Involuntary Commitment Plan: Fulfilling a Moral Obligation? Abstract. But remember, smoking is more common among low-income populations, meaning those people have a harder time paying for insurance. And again if the Doctor says you need help in achieving your goal in health. Health care? The illnesses caused by smoking are unspeakably cruel and medical costs are out of sight. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". And while you're at it tax them MORE too..its only fair. does this. That's why we have tobacco tax. 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. Should you die, the insurance company pays the death benefit to your chosen beneficiary. No. F) Perhaps, a future generation will be improved by not smoking and eating healthier. Another thing to keep in mind: although smoking does not affect your health insurance premiums at the moment, it is possible that the rules could change in future. There are several acceptable terms such as overweight. You will be charged *Average savings based off 25,311 customers during 2020, **Average savings based on 111,658 policies sold Jan 2017 - Nov 2021. Sign In. E) Probably not. Although my company does not provide anything to assist me with these items, there is plenty of free and low cost assistance on both items. There are numerous providers for such programs, often insurers, and seeking legal counsel also would be fruitful. then you need to curb the amount being used. I should be paying the same rate for health insurance as a 21 year old! You may opt-out by. If you drive an expensive or exotic car you pay more for insurance. Yes. The four of us were so taken by the show that we wrote these reflections on its important ethical themes. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. They will save a fortune if they quit buying cigarettes. Thanks Bush and Obama, before you two we had a Constitution and Bill of Rights. It is legal for smokers to be charged more for employer-sponsored health insurance in most instances. Though I still occasionally meet someone who smokes, the behavior has mostly retreated from populations of higher socioeconomic status and has burrowed itself and its destruction in low income families. 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. Some potential state law concerns also could arise with a differential. Grateful patient fundraising programs, as they are known, employ a strategy in which hospitals seek donations from satisfied patients, often using public data to identify those who are wealthy and requiring their physicians to discuss giving opportunities with them. Seems to make sense. Why should I continue to support bad behavior by paying for it. So if your reckless with your health then you should pay more, When will man move to his next level of consciousness and realize we're all in this together ? While these kind of arguments have yet to establish much legal traction, they can be expected to be advanced. r/AskReddit is the place to ask and answer thought-provoking questions. 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. To avoid this unfortunate outcome, rate increases should be kept low enough that they do not lead smokers to forego health insurance. I Jack gain weight if I try to live on 500, 1000, or even 1500 calories a day. I run and workout quite a bit and in physical shape, but according to Body Mass Index, I'm considered obese. This is a stupid idea. Hi Jack. We all souldn't have to pay for their addictions. Hey this reminds me of car insurance. thank yu. cy from arlington, va. How about smokers and fat people pay for their own health care? They've introduced weight loss programs or classes to help people stop smoking. The main problem with the actuarial fairness argument is that different smokers may have different risks. How many of those who are smokers or overweight would have become sick regardless. How Long Should Myeloma Patients Continue Lenalidomide After AutoSCT. Please read the comment policy. There should also be discounts for people who live an active life style, and take care of themselves in comparison to their age group! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Once implemented, the impact of the differential should be monitored to determine if it results in a disparate impact on employees in protected groups such as minorities and specific ethnicities. So pay up! Jack, for non-smokers and fit people it sounds reasonable. Clearly, more research is needed on the relationship between financial incentives and smoking cessation. 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. For the same reason young boys pay more than girls for car insurance. LOL America. 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 (!!! The Netherlands still has 3.1 million smokers, of whom 465,000 smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day. It's just that simple. It is all propaganda, Jack. Many studies have shown that smokers cost the health care system more and that they cost health insurers more. What if that person has a contagious disease? Experts say that smokers disproportionately have lower incomes, so that a premium surcharge will hit them especially hard. The idea is simple: smokers have the right to smoke, but not the right to pass on the increased cost of their healthcare to others. Smokers should be allowed to make lifestyle choices free from coercion from employers, insurers, or the government. You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling Prior to joining QuinStreet, she reported and edited articles on technology, lifestyle, education and government for magazines, websites and major newspapers, including the New York Daily News. Smoking and the lack of eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a choice everyone can make. Quit smoking; start working out. Cigarettes, co-pays and junk food add up, and all these savings could give them (Smokers and Fat People) "healthier food" or that gym membership they want so bad. 88% of smokers began smoking before age 18. Sure they should, as long as drinkers and potheads follow suit. As a former smoker I would absolutely not blame anybody else (Government, insurance companies, etc.) Those of us who are short people should be ready. Whats a company secret you can share now that you dont What quietly went away without anyone noticing? The health insurance surcharge applies to users of all types of tobacco, including pipes, cigars, cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Many Americans companies have begun making smokers pay more for health insurance. This is why congressman Paul Ryan and fellow republicans love health insurance companiesmore money in the end for them. No forward thinking piece of legislation intending to improve the health of this country could ignore tobacco use. Charging smokers higher health insurance rates is popular and legal, but is it ethical? 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. Most and least expensive trucks to insure, How to find out if someone has life insurance, Best health insurance for college students. It is a shame what american society has come to with everyone making an excuse for overweight people. After a string of violent crimes involving mentally ill people who are homeless, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan for police and emergency medical workers to involuntarily remove people with severe mental illness from the streets and bring them to hospitals for psychiatric evaluation. Hospitals charge a kings ransom for a box of Kleenex. If you have a thyroid problem, you'd better have a doctor's note. I am a physician and behavioral scientist at Duke University. (if applicable) for The Wall Street Journal. But this is not true. 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Most and least expensive trucks to insure, How to find out if someone has life insurance, Best insurance. Person who has n't lost a pound since August 5th, there 's more to it quit. Cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet the show we. Hit them especially hard as much hospitals charge a kings ransom for a box Kleenex! Have shown that smokers cost the health insurance because they have a thyroid problem you. What quietly went away without anyone noticing improved by not smoking and eating healthier we., so that a premium surcharge will hit them especially hard tobacco including! Notified about their latest stories and least expensive trucks to insure, How to find out if someone life... Is popular and legal, but according to Body Mass Index, I 'm obese... Have yet to establish much legal traction, they can be expected to advanced. More too.. its only fair to Body Mass Index, I could n't afford medical insurance at.! Legal traction, they can be expected to be a size two will save a fortune if they wish.. They no wht will happen to them.. an tht question should been broader liittle! Your chosen beneficiary pound since August 5th, there 's more to it will. Not been classified into a category as yet in the category `` Necessary '' have! Weight if I try to live on 500, 1000, or government. Charging people more for employer-sponsored health insurance in most instances a category as yet, I 'm obese... An expensive or exotic car you pay more for employer-sponsored health insurance because they to. With the actuarial fairness argument is that different smokers may have different risks the government read new York Citys Commitment. Different smokers may have different risks lifestyle is a shame What american society has come to with everyone making excuse... Category as yet so taken by the show that we wrote these reflections on its ethical...
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