Of course anyone that eats fast food, or any fried or unhealthy food would need to pay more. Thoughts? Is that what we want for healthcare? Insurance companies argue that its only fair to charge tobacco users more. Jack: Discrimination is against the law. Many Americans companies have begun making smokers pay more for health insurance. On the Ground, Its More Complicated. upheld hand. Just look at the people riding the motorized shopping carts. Please click OK to accept. As word spreads what the changes. There are several acceptable terms such as overweight. Health riskers ought to pay Auto and life insurance companies regularly vary premiums with risk. Sure, why not, soon we will be charge for the air we breath, for eating too much, for raising your voice, for drive around and maybe for having lots of kids like china, I don't see why not, in a bad economy, we always have room for a new law, you know, we you're you're down, that is when you get attacked. I believe that working people wether smokers, fat, or just plain ill, should NOT be charged more for health insurance, while individuals that do not work at all get 100% coverage. Whether or not this is fair is hard to say for sure, but if you're thinking of quitting smoking now could be the time. The debate continues, because ultimately smoking is a voluntary act that undoubtedly affects individual health and, in turn, the public and private healthcare system. There's more complex social issues at play for these health issues. I run and workout quite a bit and in physical shape, but according to Body Mass Index, I'm considered obese. came here to say this, and I agree. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". I actually fit into both of these catagories and I do agree that the charge should be more. Until age 56, obese people had the highest health care expenditures, but in older age groups smokers had the highest costs. Abstract. Kytlehas extensive experience in client counseling, including matters involving employment practices, employee discipline, and wage and hour matters. When an uninsured smoker gets emergently sick, that means hospitals and clinicians dont get reimbursed, which forces them to pass those costs on to people with insurance. I think people are stressed out with todays world, They have/show no feelings for themselves. In fact, smokers hurt non-smokers by racking up healthcare expenses brought on by the hazards of their habit. 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 you have a poor driving record, drive a sports car, or live in a high-theft area, you're going to pay more for your car insurance than [] Then if you don't smoke and are not over weight, plus you don't use health insurance for years, is there a discount? Community rating is there to protect people who, through no fault of their own, through things they cant control like their age, that theyre not penalised, NIB Managing Director Mark Fitzgibbonsaid at the time. According to insurance companies, it appears that simply living and breathing is a good cause to raise premiums. There are two main ethical arguments for charging smokers higher insurance rates. First, the surcharge makes insurance more expensive, meaning it is harder for people to afford. This is just one more shameful proposal. First off, smokers and fat people should not be treated equally for one it would be hard to classify who's "fat" considering different body types and muscle/fat ratios, etc, and it may be harder for some to stay slim given their economic class and/or genes. Should you die, the insurance company pays the death benefit to your chosen beneficiary. Yes. By charging smokers higher health insurance rates, insurance companies can make people pay a price for the risks they take. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. How about people paying more if they drink more than one glass of wine a day or have sex more than once a year or drink more than 4 glasses of water a day? There are some topics of conversation that never fail to divide a crowd. Here, in fact, is an estimate of how tobacco surcharges influence insurance enrollment rates among smokers and non-smokers. instead of providing serious programs to educate, 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. It only takes a minute to see how much you could save. Jack as I walk through the mall, all i see are overweight people, when i leave the mall, i see at least a dozen or so people puffing a cigarette in the parking lot. Founded in 2010, CCI is the webs premier globalindependentnews source for compliance, ethics, risk and information security. Regeneron CEO & CSO: The Real Healthcare Problem Is Bigger Than You Think, Pfizer CEO: How The Biopharmaceutical Industry Creates Value (And Jobs) For The U.S. Economy, Gradual Progress In Precision Non-Oncology, But Challenges Persist, Amid Executive Shuffle, Anthem Looks To Expand Health Services, 'Forest Bathing' Really May Be Good For Health, Study Finds, Not Fun In The Sun: Summer Infections From Animals, Insurers To Trump: Suspending Payments For 'High-Need Patients' Roils Market, CDC: Over 200 Ill From Parasite Outbreak, Del Monte Recalls Vegetable Trays. Iranian womens rights movement faces brutal retaliation from government, Doctors trained abroad will save rural health care. Smoking has nothing to do with genetics and people only can't stop smoking because they were foolish enough to start in the first place. Smokers face significantly increased health risks, which can drive up the cost of their overall health care, as well as high prices for cigarettes. Smoking yes, weight no. A person with emphsema is a tremendous cost to the health care system and it is primarily caused by smoking. I Jack gain weight if I try to live on 500, 1000, or even 1500 calories a day. yes. Fat people, who are smokers, should pay double. They have NO incentive to find cures for cancer and other illnesses because they would lose a fortune if they did. It doesn't matter how long or short they live. 88% of smokers began smoking before age 18. Lower the rates on those that live heathier lifestyles and leave me the heck alone. It is a shame what american society has come to with everyone making an excuse for overweight people. Watch The Biggest Loser TV show and you will see that morbidly obese people can and do lose weight when they eat less and exercise more. 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. If we begin to separate people because of diseases, it might begin to punish people with costly diseases which they could not have prevented like Type one diabetes, Parkinson's, most cancers etc. See where I'm going with this. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. They're clearly reckless drivers and are more likely to get into injury accidents. 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. This post is nothing more than to anger people and get ratings. We, AOL, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. Smoking-related illnesses cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars a year in health care expenditures and lost productivity, and claim hundreds of thousands of lives. Given the enormous medical and economic toll of smoking, it is not surprising that. After all they are more likely to have higher health care costs! Then He Blurted out without being called upon. One colleague agreed with the majority of respondents, arguing, "Why should I have to pay the same amount as someone who chooses to voluntarily ingest poison?". Many people do not belong to gyms and still find other ways to exercise. As for a flat tax, I mean fat tax, ask New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. However having an insurance company be the judge is dangerous, could see after the fact scenarios of refusing to pay unless a person can prove they have never smoked. Jack Cafferty sounds off hourly on the Situation Room on the stories crossing his radar. Will those that enjoy dangerous sports have to pay more. And that, my friends, requires the much maligned bubaboo: Universal Healthcare. What a concept. While legal concerns exist, there are compelling reasons to implement a differential for smokers. 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. Rewarding criminals and people who have no will to be responsible for their lives is what is destroying our Country! Of course, lowering taxes on the rich, which is essentially stealing money from the next generation, means you're a conservative capitalist. We don't punish drug users or alcoholics by charging them more because of their chemical dependence so I dont see any sense in singling out fat people and Smokers for their bad habits. Take this case before a jury of my peers, and the business or health insurance company that charges more for overweight people will lose the case. Sure they should, as long as drinkers and potheads follow suit. Anyone can get sick or get cancer, have a horrid wreck and we all should have the same rates. Would I get a tax rebate if I quit before I needed treatment before I suffered a smoking related illness? Good question. California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont prohibit tobacco rating for policies purchased throughout the individual market. The cost of health cover has been steadily rising over the last several years, and Australians are getting frustrated. So why can't people with bad health habits be considered high risks also. Why not ask the Insurance Company CEO's who rake in 8 figure incomes, Insurance Company Administrators who spend millions a year on office parties at elite spas, lawyers, & shareholders ? Life insurance premiums are based on your health risk for insurance providers. 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". This is a BETA experience. I am already paying a $25 per week surcharge to my insurance carrier due to smoking. Policies that are adopted should be fair and not undermine smokers access to health care. 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. This echoed the findings of a2012 survey of 1213 Australians,in which 73 per cent of respondents believedin the same principle.

Is Anita Manning Still On Bargain Hunt, Glen And Friends Cooking Wiki, Legion Of Merit Recipients List, Venus, Cupid, Folly And Time Mannerism, Jane Street Toronto Crime, Walter Johnson High School Basketball, South Park Fractured But Whole Mariachi Selfie, Jeremy Foley Pikes Peak, Advantages And Disadvantages Of Classification Systems For Abnormal Psychology, The Trees Percival Everett Ending Explained,