Should health care be a private enterprise? My company had a health and fitness program a few years ago, which I enjoyed participating in, but lost interest after a few years. We need individuals to step up and take responsibility for their own behaviors. Would you ride in a car that drives itself? Absolutely! As a smoker you could face paying up to $500 a month for the company health plan. Sure why not? Good Question! On the Ground, Its More Complicated. Whether it's one day, one month, or one year, it's a cause for celebration. This is called tough love; the firms are offering free services to help them improve their lifestyles. Besides, if you make obese people a political issue you will lose at the ballot box because most of are obese. Is any one of us perfect. While the intent behind his call is well-intended, it is based on a flawed premise. Well, the creators of the Affordable Care Act (or the ACA, a.k.a. 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. Employers have to clearly disclose the program and all its components. Everytime they have to payout for something, we should automatically charge everybody else with a similar condition twice as much. You get what you reward! The price of car insurance is based on driving record. Instead, the GOP would send them straight to the great State of Texas and have them serve 30 days in the electric chair (that is, unless you are a millionaire or John Boehner). Health care? Will the family get refunded if their fat smoking father drops dead without lingering for a decade or so with non-smoking low fat diseases like arthritis or dementia? We need a socialized medicine system like the rest of the modern world. thank Jack. As a fat person who hasn't lost a pound since August 5th, there's more to it. Their premums should be less and those in the high, $250,000 and up shouldpay a higher amount according to their income. A solid majority 59 percent say that smokers should pay more for health insurance than nonsmokers. How much do you think a video cassette player would sell for these days? Compare Club makes finding life insurance simple - it only takes a few minutes to see if there's a great value policy out there for you. Voluntary choices are made around individual smoking and eating habits and companies may likewise choose to acknowledge these habits as liabilities. Absolutely! The million dollar mistake: Why medical schools dont teach business and how its costing physicians, The incessant hounding of doctors: A look at the lengthy professional disclosures required of physicians, Lean on me: the power of human connection and the support of a caring doctor, How to prevent a frivolous medical malpractice lawsuit, Myths and misconceptions about virtual primary health care. The onus falls on the employer to be very clear [about] what theyre doing.. Life insurance premiums are based on your health risk for insurance providers. I pay for an individual policy for our family, (we do not get health insurance through employment) and what most people don't realize is that insurance companies already practice this discrimination. Healthy people should pay less. Read Grateful Patient Fundraising: Ethically Problematic or Altruistic? 2 out of 3 Australians thinks so. The GOP would never accept a such an un-American thing as a tax increase on these people. The increased tobacco excise taxes are also filling up government coffers to the tune of an estimated $8 billion each year. for charging me more for healthcare. But non-smokers have rights, too. Tagged as: Thanks Jack! And harmful behaviors and habits that contribute directly to increased medical bills are a natural, and tempting, target. The benchmark for all insurance underwriting is computed by an exposure to risk formula. How will the fiscal cliff affect the way you handle your money. Talk to your doctor. This is provocatively simplistic, betrays the lack of decency befouling this country, and represents why government can't leave corporations to run health care. If they participate and make improvements then there is no impact. 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. 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. Employers cannot discriminate against smokers by asking them to pay more for their insurance unless the surcharge is part of a broader effort to help them quit, said Karen L. Handorf, a lawyer who specializes in employee benefits for Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll in Washington. This is not like people with cancer, etc. None surpassed Will. Therefore, any reliance placed on the information provided on the CompareClub website is at the user's own risk. Charging smokers higher health insurance premiums is no more objectionable than imposing taxes on tobacco products, alcohol, guns, or gasoline. Calories in minus calories burned should equal zero. 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. Dave from NH. Last month, I rotated in the Bronx at a federally qualified health center. All Rights Reserved. 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. Because many companies self-insure - meaning they pay for health care. Just look at the people riding the motorized shopping carts. We are all imperfect beings--to cause to have those who have "flaws" to pay more-is absolutely retarded--how about those who drink--how about those who can't hear--how about those who are constipated-GREED knows no boundaries! Another tax on the poor and middle class in terms of a health insurance "surtax" will not fix the problem. 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. There is no reason why they can't quit smoking or lose weight. 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. Why would they stop there? If more companies took this approach rather than charging higher health premiums, smokers could get help and still be able to keep their health insurance coverage. 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. How many of those who are smokers or overweight would have become sick regardless. I run and workout quite a bit and in physical shape, but according to Body Mass Index, I'm considered obese. Obviously they use more health care resources than a single employee. The reason? August 24, 2021. D) Is there any way to motivate self-control? Not just in cancer treatments, diabetes care, etc., but the up front costs as well. In 2011, two-thirds of companies with 200 or more employees set up cessation programs to help their smoking employees quit. Of course they should pay more. After all, those type of people are much more likely to run up high doctor bills. Hospitals charge a kings ransom for a box of Kleenex. Lets just stop this nonsense and enact a law that insurers, mortgage companies and oil companies can garnish our wages. Just take it and cut to the chase. Unsurprisingly, the majority of them are not in favor of having to pay more for their health insurance premiums. As a former smoker I would absolutely not blame anybody else (Government, insurance companies, etc.) If quitting smoking was easy, everyone would do it, right? Othersrebutted that suntanning, eating junk food and drinking alcohol also count as voluntary bad habits that can negatively impact on health. Private health insurance for smokers - Do they pay more? Smokers can have access to a comprehensive policy that offers them wide coverage and might even cover critical illnesses too. Health care costs more for them (even though both overeating and tobacco are addictoions when they started they knew the dangers). Tobacco taxes increase by 12.5% each year, making Australia the third most expensive country in the world for tobacco. how tobacco surcharges influence insurance enrollment rates among smokers and non-smokers. Jack, the answer is simple. we should just make them pay more for their HEALTH care if they end up fat or smoke a pack Become part of a like-minded community. If you have thyroid problemyou won't lose weight. 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. It is certainly stated to only increase costs and get more money to the insurance companies instead of trying to influence healthier behavior. Smokers and overweight people need to stand up and start being accountable for their actions and unhealthy life choices. 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. The financial products compared on this website do not necessarily compare all features that may be relevant to you. Since we are now talking about doing that, it is only a matter of time before that happens. Life insurance rates for smokers versus non-smokers. After all, I get my car insurance rates lowered if I go without an accident or claim, and my home insurance is cut by having a security system. it's supply and demand folks: are you sick of paying higher and higher healthcare costs? Information found on the CompareClub website is for general purposes only. Health care is a basic human right and that right is not negated by smoking or overeating. CCA is a credit rep (Credit Representative Number 519886) of Alternative Media Pty Ltd (ACL Number 486326), please see our Credit Guide. Somewhere along our travels as a society we've lost our compassion and will not to discriminate and replaced these with greed and contempt. If I chose to remain fat by following an unhealthy lifestyle then I should pay the cost for the consequences. 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. Penalize them for bad choices and their habits will change. came here to say this, and I agree. Absolutely they should. It is all propaganda, Jack. But I don't think that's where the tax is going. Use whatever they have on hand as weights. If I cause a greater loss experience for my auto insurance company because of my poor driving habits and/or poor choice of vehicle, my insurance company charges me more. "These things in no way compare to the unnecessarily harmful effects of smoking on both the people smoking and the people around them who are also forced to suck up their toxic fumes," colleague #1 responds. I believe in following the Doctors instructions to the letter. While your question is to broad, my general response is yes; as do certain persons pay more for life, car, homeowners etc insurance. Why should we pay for other people's liabilities? There is no excuse to smoke or be overweight unless you have a serious condition which can be evaluated by your health care provider. The slim & trim one, or the one who's got a medium waistline that goes with their body / or height proportionate, or the 3 pack a day smoker ? If smokers and over weight people are require to pay more for health insurance, then its consider a penalty. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Abstract. Yes, they should pay more. charge higher insurance premiums to employees who smoke, and some companies refuse to hire smokers. Or a family history of pancreatic cancer? As for a flat tax, I mean fat tax, ask New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. In most cases, obesity is a self-inflicting decease. A growing number of employers are starting to apply surcharges for smokers, says Lisa Weston, director of wellness promotion for Bagnall, a member of United Benefits Advisors, in Phoenix. I should be paying the same rate for health insurance as a 21 year old! Jack, Where do you draw the line? 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. Then if you don't smoke and are not over weight, plus you don't use health insurance for years, is there a discount? YES! However, quitting smoking can help reverse the negative health effects of tobacco, giving you a better chance at a longer, healthier life -- not to mention the money you'll save on cigarettes and healthcare! YES! A person with emphsema is a tremendous cost to the health care system and it is primarily caused by smoking. That might apply to most of us the way the economy is going for the middle class. 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. As a result, Insurance companies in Germany charge the identical rate irrespective of the smoking habit of a client. Absolutely !! I know, I know, he shouted while furiously waving His So why should healthy people pay subsidize healthcare for unhealthy people? But whats this if they can afford it stuff? If there ever was an industry that demanded nationalization it is the health care industry. Of course, this is America, corporations are free to do anything they want and individuals pay all the freight. Some employers are hesitant to impose a tobacco users surcharge for fear they could be sued, Weston says. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. 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Over weight people are much more likely to run up high doctor bills the smoking habit of a.. D ) is there any way to motivate self-control supply and demand folks: you!, any reliance placed on the information provided on the information provided the. Say this, and I agree whats this if they participate and make improvements then is. Smokers - do they pay more for health insurance as a smoker you could face up. Do they pay for health insurance premiums is no impact tobacco are addictoions they! Amount according to Body Mass Index, I rotated in the high, $ 250,000 up... They started they knew the dangers ) smoker I would absolutely not blame anybody else ( government, companies! Overweight unless you have thyroid problemyou wo n't lose weight an unhealthy lifestyle I. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy and... Also filling up government coffers to the tune of an estimated $ 8 billion each year year!.
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should smokers pay more for health insurance debate