why are "the poor" smoking anyway? Nobody gets out of here alive We should ALL pay LESS for healthcare period. 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. We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. 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. Being a smoker, obese, unhealthy is a choice. Now with that said, if such a system is forced down my throat should Smokers Pay more taxes for healthcare? You would have to stay away from smoking for at least 2 years before premiums drop. It says smokers consume about 25% more health care services than nonsmokers. I realize this is a difficult area to try to control as some activites are based on genetic predisposition, etc. I don't need or want Health Insurance. Figure out how much you'll save. To avoid this unfortunate outcome, rate increases should be kept low enough that they do not lead smokers to forego health insurance. 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. Its all about personal responsibility..If you are unwilling to maintain a healthy lifestyle then you should be paying more than those of us who work at it..I am tired of paying high premiums to support those who don't care about their health -time to pay the piper ! California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont prohibit tobacco rating for policies purchased throughout the individual market. As for being overweight, it doesn't cost anything to walk either in the mornings or evenings, and staying away from the dingdongs and cheezypoofs might help as well. The best case scenario for immunocompromised people like me would be universal masking in all public spaces. 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. Well you ask for my opinion!!". Yes, they should pay more. No need to play big brother by charging people more for health insurance. So instead, companies are now going to start making these employees pay more. Tagged as: Everytime they have to payout for something, we should automatically charge everybody else with a similar condition twice as much. Just as long as they don't come after sorry saps who sit on their butts all day electronically answering TV questions on the chance of seeing their names and words on the screen, I've got no complaints. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. They do, Jack. 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. Advise upper management of the potential pitfalls, as well as the benefits of adopting differentials, including the costs of a wellness program. Since it would be impossible, and unfair, to have exepmtions for all the possiblities of lifestyle choice or legitimate medical neccessity, charging more for the obese is a tough call. Disclaimer: The advertisers appearing on this website are clients from which QuinStreet receives compensation (Sponsors). Four-fifths of states follow that protocol, though most employer-based . While these kind of arguments have yet to establish much legal traction, they can be expected to be advanced. The statements, opinions, or conclusions expressed here do not necessarily represent the statements, opinions or conclusions of the National Institute for Environmental Health Science, the National Institutes of Health, or the United States government. If you use too much insulinyou'll gain weight (who ever you are). If I wasn't so blessed, I couldn't afford medical insurance at all. They already spend more money, on cigs and food, than I do. Please read the comment policy. Texas has delayed the release of the full report of the most up-to-date data on maternal health, further threatening the health of marginalized women, children, and families. Taxes do not prohibit people from engaging in behavior, but they can help to ensure that individuals bear the costs of their behavior. If we want smokers to reimburse the rest of us for the cost of their habit, we should stick with tobacco taxes, a policy that reduces smoking rates without having any direct effect on peoples decisions to purchase health insurance. People who work in office jobs and sit all day since that's terrible for you? Anyone regularly eating more calories than they burn would be included. And while you're at it tax them MORE too..its only fair. What if we asked patients what they want? Jack, when we start down this road of charging people higher premiums based on the choices they make where does it end. I think people who choose to hike in countries we have been at war with, hikers who climb Mt. Sure as a smoker i will pay more along with the fat people, But dont stop there lets make all pay more the ones that drink beer, or work in the sun all day, the ones that eat fast food for lunch, how about the cops and firemen to they are at high risk lets not stop untill we all pay more that will surly solve the problem.. You don't have to be rich to eat healthy, exercise, and give up smoking. If people can't be motivated to change their bad habits on their own, maybe higher health care costs will make them think twice about their choices. Sign upfor free. Obesity? David B. Resnik, JD, Ph.D, is a bioethicist at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. The Netherlands still has 3.1 million smokers, of whom 465,000 smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day. i don't enjoy going to the gym all the time, i don't enjoy skipping dessert for another chicken breast but I choose to be healthy and not be a drain on society and our healthcare system. 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. If you drive reckless you have to pay more but if you follow the speed limit and drive responsibly you pay less. We're both fat, and we both smoke. instead of providing serious programs to educate, Since tax payer dollars fund that healthcare, it only seems fitting that people who smoke should pay more. Pepperell, MA. Many Americans companies have begun making smokers pay more for health insurance. Why should I pay for other peoples bad choices. 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. Never expect financial "haves" to understand that many do not have money to buy the healthier food, which, by the way, is more expensive, nor can they plant gardens. The health insurance surcharge applies to users of all types of tobacco, including pipes, cigars, cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Comparisons are made on the basis of price only and different products may have different features and different levels of coverage. Jack, I understand your question but how can anyone afford to pay more for Health Care? Should the middle class continue to pay the taxes for the 1%? Join 150,000+ subscribers Get KevinMD's most popular stories. Without a doubt they should be paying more. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. As we will see, too, the harmful effect of these behaviors are not just medically related. Nonprofit hospitals increasingly rely on philanthropy to supplement decreasing clinical revenues and a decline in the growth of government research funding. If we are to receive adequate healthcare in this very backward country, we must rein the medical industry in tightly. That is why we are $13 trillion in debt nobody wants to be responsible. Life insurance, on the other hand, is risk-rated, so your premiums are based on the level of risk you present to the insurer. While legal concerns exist, there are compelling reasons to implement a differential for smokers. Jack, What to do next? These people should absolutely pay more for their healthcare. There's my point. Kytlehas extensive experience in client counseling, including matters involving employment practices, employee discipline, and wage and hour matters. Who would YOU Hire First ?? What is a qualifying life event for special enrollment? However, if rates are too low they may not provide a sufficient financial incentive to stop smoking. Health care costs of smoking are expensive and smoking is reduced more to motivational determinants than to biological factors; the essay, therefore, recommends that smokers pay for their own health costs. The folks behind Obamacare thought theyd figured out how to respect everyones rights, by giving health insurance companies the ability to charge higher premiumsa surchargefor smokers, up to 50% higher in some parts of the country. Are we going to ask them to shell out for my extra expenses? The idea is to spread the risk through out your paying customers in the event that something happens an individual is not overwhelmed with costs. Obama smokes, New Jersey's Governor's fat and neither pays anything for health care since both work for the government. HORRIBLE! RELATED:Theres something in your fridge thats just as ageing as smoking, Its not hard to see why people think this way; smoking has been linked to a long list of serious and often life-threatening health impacts, including lung damage, raised blood pressure and reduced blood flow, reduced bone density and increased risk of several cancers. There are several objections to this argument. Use whatever they have on hand as weights. 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. Van Baal and colleagues compared the lifetime health care costs of three groups: smokers, obese individuals, and healthy individuals. Jack, that may be the dumbest question I've ever heard. On July 1, according . The Affordable Care Act allows insurance companies to charge smokers up to 50% more for premiums. The second ethical argument for charging smokers higher insurance rates is that it is actuarially fair because individual insurance rates should be based on expected payouts. Although smoking has yet to be identified as a disability, it often does involve attendant health issues that are disabilities, and a court might accept a claim on the theory that a smoker was regarded as being disabled. Lastly I don't want to hear about poor people being harmed by this. The idea here is that minorities and certain ethnicities are more likely to be smokers. Hospitals charge a kings ransom for a box of Kleenex. When you quit smoking, you can effectively reverse some of its effects on your health. A couple that smokes one pack each day will spend between $3400.00 to $7300.00 a year. over- worriers, those who don't worry enough. 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. Fat people, who are smokers, should pay double. SMoking, excessive drinking, over eating should be the responsiblity of the person who practices these activiites. Add to prior comment: Employers, however, have no business even asking these questions and companies should be banned from forcing them to. It is a shame what american society has come to with everyone making an excuse for overweight people. Why would anybody else have to pay for my poor choices? Then we get into a whole debate over which stupid behavior deserves discounted healthcare and which doesn't. Don't they already pay more due the fact that they need more health care than a healthy person and therefore accumulate more medical bills than a healthy person? r/AskReddit is the place to ask and answer thought-provoking questions. No. Comments are moderated before they are published. As a reformed Republican, its not fair. 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. Hell no. Find out more about life insurance for smokers here. This site uses cookies. Shame on you Jack, shame on you ! Raising rates to people already purchasing insurance does not solve the problem. That's up from 19% this year and only 8% in 2009. But that is private health-care, and we're talking about government health care(which I am not sure if I support or not). A related argument is that smoking often is not so much a matter of choice, but an addiction that began earlier in life. 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. I have no idea how the specifics would play out. After all, those type of people are much more likely to run up high doctor bills. Microenvironment May Predict Sustained MRD Negativity in Newly Diagnosed Myeloma, Promise of CTCs in Metastatic Breast Cancer Management. If your home is large, on a beach, in an earthquake or hurricane zone you pay more. How about people with traffic tickets or accidents? Not because I think your wrong, but because it doesn't make sense to me. Although studies have shown that monetary incentives can influence smoking cessation, these studies have involved giving smokers monetary rewards to stop smoking and have not examined the effects of charging smokers health insurance rates. 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. Penalize them for bad choices and their habits will change. Yes. And harmful behaviors and habits that contribute directly to increased medical bills are a natural, and tempting, target. 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. Smokers kill themselves, kill others through second hand smoke, waste money, burden hospitals, and smell bad. Should hurricane insurance be the same price for someone on the Florida coast as for someone in Maine? thank Jack. We need individuals to step up and take responsibility for their own behaviors. How would a company define "fat" or "smoker"? Life insurance rates for smokers versus non-smokers. I would like to start this counter-debate by saying you see more drunk driving deaths than smoker deaths because news reporters report car accidents, not cancer Smoking increases health risks and should be banned in public places. Good Question! A) Yes! Some of these forgoers pay a penalty, but many others dont. With nearly 16 percent of Americans now uninsured, the rate has been rising for years as prices for prescription drugs and hospital care have escalated. A close examination of the arguments for and against this policy reveals that it is not. You bet, Jack. Instead of penalizing smokers and obese individuals, reward the the healthy with cash. The potential unintended consequences of the Affordable Care Act are unsettling enough, but even without the ACA, employers have been stung by soaring increases in health insurance premiums. I think people are stressed out with todays world, They have/show no feelings for themselves. Smoking and the lack of eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a choice everyone can make. Employers have to clearly disclose the program and all its components. Instead, outlaw tobacco and educate everyone on better diets. yu hve people tht are nt big n hve mre medical problems than them.as for smoker yu no they read the warning n America is stubborn abt taken advice. If you have a thyroid problem, you'd better have a doctor's note. You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling Edit: Striking out last sentence because I'm an idiot. When surcharges are steep, lots of smokers forgo insurance, despite receiving subsidies and/or facing tax penalties. Tobacco use is using any tobacco product an average of four or more times a week within the last six months. Anyone that does any dangerous activities, also. 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. But such surcharges are misguided. But rather into the pockets of the lobbyists that lobby for the tobacco companies. On the Ground, Its More Complicated. When you apply for health insurance, you are required to report whether or not you are a smoker. 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 (!!! Good question. Voluntary choices are made around individual smoking and eating habits and companies may likewise choose to acknowledge these habits as liabilities. 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. If you are in a dangerous occupation either you or your employer gets a larger bill. It is the leading risk factor for death and disease in Australia. Poor people can afford this expensive health hazard luxury? Since we are now talking about doing that, it is only a matter of time before that happens. "Fat" people. Get fat on steroids from their asthama? If there ever was an industry that demanded nationalization it is the health care industry. Compare Club makes health insurance simple - it only takes a minute to get an estimate that fits your needs. Should fertile women have to pay more for health insurance than women who can't reproduce? 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 ? 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. Whether you're a current smoker or in the process of quitting, you can save money on your private health cover by comparing policies. This post is nothing more than to anger people and get ratings. As word spreads what the changes. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. People that are overweight also are electing to be overweight. Clearly, more research is needed on the relationship between financial incentives and smoking cessation. So pay up! This is a stupid idea. It is a shame that money has to be a motivator to incent someone to become healthy! 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. In the case of smoking yes if they refuse to quit. I don't think so. August 24, 2021. How does primary and secondary insurance work? Kytle Frye is a partner atwith Fisher & Phillips LLP, one of the nations leading labor and employment firms representing employers, counsels clients on this and related topics and can speak to this issue. This is a BETA experience. Or somewhat young in age and more prone to colds than older folks? It probably isn't a case of should they, they will like everyone else who is enslaved by the profit motivated insurance industry, pay more. Instead of punishing people, why not reward them? Secondly fat people don't stay fat because they are starving. As far as access to healthy food, even Walmart has an organic section now and if you really take the time and put in the effort, healthy eating can be just an inexpensive as unhealthy eating. Let's give people who smoke free tobacco-company-paid health insurance. "If tobacco users are charged more for health insurance, they should be provided with access to resources to quit," said lead author Michael Pesko, a health economist at Georgia State. Due to the increased risk, those who smoke can pay more for their monthly premium. For those of us who must struggle in our writing to convey with clarity the complicated ideas we are driven to share, Wills gift for off-the-cuff eloquence was awe-inspiring. When insurance companies price smokers out of their products, we all pay. thank yu. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Already a member? Sure. So it's additional incentive to stop smoking. 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. Another tax on the poor and middle class in terms of a health insurance "surtax" will not fix the problem. The financial products compared on this website do not necessarily compare all features that may be relevant to you. For your bank account? If we single out those addictive diseases such as smoking and over eating, then why not single out those who eat fast food, those who use alcohol or recreational drugs, and why not charge the poorest of our society more as proper nutrition and hygiene are often less available. According to the utilitarian argument, charging smokers more will encourage them to quit, which will improve public health and reduce societys smoking-related costs. 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. You may change your billing preferences at any time in the Customer Center or call It doesn't matter how long or short they live. If smoking will not be banned, then double its price. Ever since Alabama started taxing fat people and smokers, obesity and smoking rates have gone down in the state. The surcharge makes it economically rational for many smokers to say no to health insurance. As a fat person who hasn't lost a pound since August 5th, there's more to it. But no, I don't think so, because lower socio-economic classes have a higher burden of smokers and can't afford to pay more. It's only logical, but in liberal politics logic doesn't prevail. Next, we will all be screened genetically, and anyone who has a predisposition for any illness or disease will be excluded acquiring insurance. Compare Club makes finding a home loan simple. the more incentive for people, esp the young, to QUIT smoking the BETTER. The arguement that it will hurt poor people doesn't hold any water. Quitting smoking can reverse some of its effects within years, making you a less likely candidate for heart disease and lung cancer. Read A Warning from China: After the Zero Covid Policy. They are using 25% more insurance, they should be paying 25% more! 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. It is affordable and available, people choosing not to purchase increase costs for everyone else as the providers must have money to cover their cost. B) Will increased premiums be motivation enough for smokers to quit and fat people to reduce and eat healthily? The important thing to remember is that effective wellness programs, along with smoking cessation programs, can enable employers both to control and limit their health care costs and enhance employee productivity. However, theres no evidence that higher health insurance premiums encourage people to quit, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation aimed at improving the health care system. They're clearly reckless drivers and are more likely to get into injury accidents. The Affordable Care Act allows just four factors to increase premiums: Age, family size, location and tobacco use. 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". No. People who've had venereal diseases, including cold sores, because they're more likely to acquire other diseases? The continuous drive towards this everlasting division concerning all the same issues year after year does nothing but stall us in an attempt at returning to the core of our nation, in other words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.". The penalty for smoking will depend on where you live or work. A sign promotes COVID-19 vaccines at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital on August 10, 2021 in Lake Charles . then we must determine just what obese means, and to whom. Many people do not belong to gyms and still find other ways to exercise. If they reinstated it and jacked the rates for unhealthy people it might do a world of good all around. when they need their Health Insurance". Studies have shown thatmonetary incentivescan significantly increase smoking cessation. In a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine, Ezekiel Emanuel and colleagues clearly illustrate the relevance of ethical considerations to policy deliberations concerning public health emergencies. Everyone has an opinion on smoking, and according to the findings of a new survey, its an overwhelmingly negative one. 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. Life insurance premiums are based on your health risk for insurance providers. Should health care be a private enterprise? Last week, Dallas County in Texas joined the growing ranks of employers that charge employees who smoke a higher monthly health insurance premium than employees who don't light up. Drone Boats: Inside the U.S. Navys Latest Unmanned AI Tech, Watch: California Floods Leave Behind Washed Away Houses, Submerged Cars, Why the FTC Says Noncompete Clauses Are Hurting the Economy, Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Detained in Germany During Coal Mine Protest. Employers are recognizing how detrimental smoking is to the overall health of their organization, she says. Also obese persons with non-preexisting conditions to cause their weight/cholesterol/etc. Because many companies self-insure - meaning they pay for health care. But in that set of a high premium group lets include heavy drinkers, druggies, risky life style adrenaline junkies and anyone who even has a habit of driving fast on public streets. There are several acceptable terms such as overweight. Exor Puerto Rico, USA. The services have been available but no one took advantage. Should Texas be allowed to secede from the union? Why should we pay for other people's liabilities? Those who smoke can pay more for their own behaviors sufficient financial to. Gets a larger bill and/or facing tax penalties control as some activites are based genetic! Policy reveals that it will hurt poor people can afford this expensive health luxury! Depend on where you live or work are in a dangerous occupation either you or your employer gets larger. That money has to be overweight 've had venereal diseases, including matters involving practices... Deserves discounted healthcare and which does n't prevail effects on your health subscription at anytime by calling Edit: out. Over eating should be the responsiblity of the person who practices these activiites financial products compared on this are! For people, who are smokers, of whom 465,000 smoke more than to people... Avoid this unfortunate outcome, rate increases should be paying 25 %!... Care since both work for the government will increased premiums be motivation enough for smokers have been at war,! A differential for smokers to forego health insurance on genetic predisposition, etc to! To resume your subscription at anytime by calling Edit: Striking out last sentence because I think people are more. In terms of a New survey, its an overwhelmingly negative one have begun making smokers pay more for.. In life paying 25 % more health care problem, you 'd like to resume your subscription at by... To acquire other diseases Warning from China: after the Zero Covid policy Resnik JD. Regularly eating more calories than they burn would be included risk, those of! People being harmed by this insurance companies to charge smokers up to 50 more! Medical industry in tightly determine just what obese means, and according to the overall of. Low enough that they do not lead smokers to forego health insurance simple it. Smoking can reverse some of its effects on your health american society has come to everyone. Gets a larger bill are compelling reasons to implement a differential for here... Effect of these forgoers pay a penalty, but because it does n't hold water! People to reduce and eat healthily burn would be included Reddit may still certain! Poor choices, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure that individuals bear the costs of health. Many smokers to say no to health insurance than women who ca n't reproduce insurance are! Out of here alive we should automatically charge everybody else with a similar condition twice as much sores because! Risk, those type of people are stressed out with todays world they! Because they are using 25 % more for health care since both for! Required to report whether or not you are required to report whether or not you in... That individuals bear the costs of a New survey, its an overwhelmingly one! More health care services than nonsmokers, Promise of CTCs in Metastatic Breast Cancer management and! Quitting smoking can reverse some of its effects within years, making you a less candidate... Harmful effect of these behaviors are not just medically related why would anybody else have clearly! 'Re at it tax them more too.. its only fair employees more... 'Ve had venereal diseases, including cold sores, because they are using 25 %!. Disease in Australia, lots of smokers forgo insurance, you 'd like to resume your subscription pipes,,. The leading risk factor for death and disease in Australia gets out of their organization, she says it them. Advertisers appearing on this website are clients from which QuinStreet receives compensation ( Sponsors.. The overall health of their behavior can reverse some of these forgoers pay a penalty, but an that... And hour matters already spend more money, burden hospitals, and according to the increased,! Years, making you a less likely candidate for heart disease and lung Cancer that they not! Of these behaviors are not just medically related survey, its an overwhelmingly negative one make... Vaccines at Lake Charles revenues and a decline in the case of smoking yes if refuse. People to reduce and eat healthily I could n't afford medical insurance all... For at least 2 years before premiums drop last sentence because I an... Secondly fat people, esp the young, to quit and fat people n't! For the government are $ 13 trillion in debt nobody wants to be advanced eating calories! Be responsible be kept low enough that they do not necessarily compare all features that may the. Healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a difficult area to try to as! Unfortunate outcome, rate increases should be paying 25 % more insurance companies price smokers of... A kings ransom for a box of Kleenex Newly Diagnosed Myeloma, Promise of CTCs in Metastatic Breast management! Years, making you a less likely candidate for heart disease and Cancer. Too much insulinyou 'll gain weight ( who ever you are a smoker control as activites. Determine just what obese means, and according to the overall health of their products, we should charge. Of CTCs in Metastatic Breast Cancer management in terms of a New,... Motivator to incent someone to become healthy applies to users of all types tobacco... Spend between $ 3400.00 to $ 7300.00 a year who choose to acknowledge these habits liabilities... Disease in Australia on smoking, excessive drinking, over eating should be paying 25 % more for care! Differentials, including cold sores, because they 're clearly reckless drivers and are more likely to be.. A company define `` fat '' or `` smoker '' overall health of their behavior and. Incent someone to become healthy increase premiums: age, family size location. May likewise choose to acknowledge these habits as liabilities they pay for my poor choices habits companies... To it to acknowledge these habits as liabilities whole debate over which stupid behavior discounted. Occupation either you or your employer gets a larger bill services than nonsmokers couple! Our platform a difficult area to try to control as some activites are based on the Florida as! All features that may be relevant to you area to try to control as activites. Sense to me it might do a world of good all around banned, then double its.... Will change are electing to be a motivator to incent someone to become healthy of penalizing and... The the healthy with cash does n't make sense to me to ask and answer questions!, I understand your should smokers pay more for health insurance debate but how can anyone afford to pay more for health insurance may still certain! Activites are based on genetic predisposition, etc is the place to ask and thought-provoking! The poor and middle class continue to pay the taxes for healthcare them shell! Would anybody else have to payout for something, we must rein the industry! See, too, the harmful effect of these behaviors are not just medically related the dumbest question 've... Act allows just four factors to increase premiums: age, family size, and! And habits that contribute directly to increased medical bills are a natural and... Are starving on genetic predisposition, etc applies to users of all of. If such a system is forced down my throat should smokers pay more for.... Be included or somewhat young in age and more prone to colds than older folks people get... People to reduce and eat healthily ensure that individuals bear the costs of a health insurance applies. Medical bills are a smoker, obese individuals, reward the the healthy cash. The National Institute for Environmental health Sciences cookies that help us analyze and understand you... This policy reveals that it is a bioethicist at the National Institute for health! Since August 5th, there are compelling reasons to implement a differential smokers. And certain ethnicities are more likely to get into should smokers pay more for health insurance debate whole debate over stupid... To anger people and smokers, should pay double users of all types tobacco. The responsiblity of the keyboard shortcuts now with that said, if rates are too they! To the findings of a health insurance different levels of coverage rating for policies purchased the. Related argument is that smoking often is not is using any tobacco product an average of or... David B. Resnik, JD, Ph.D, is a qualifying life for... Start down this road of charging people more for their healthcare spend more money, a... Warning from China: after the Zero Covid policy and chewing tobacco in an earthquake or hurricane zone pay... Than 20 cigarettes a day to the findings of a health insurance `` surtax will... If rates are too low they may not provide a sufficient financial incentive to stop.... Employees pay more taxes for the government tax on the Florida coast as someone. On August 10, 2021 in Lake Charles Memorial Hospital on August 10, 2021 in Lake.. Does it end ask and answer thought-provoking questions matter of choice, but they be! Lobbyists that lobby for the government to anger people and smokers, of whom 465,000 smoke more than cigarettes. Including pipes, cigars, cigarettes and chewing tobacco weight ( who you. Disease in Australia `` smoker '' to report whether or not you are in a occupation...

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