There are numerous providers for such programs, often insurers, and seeking legal counsel also would be fruitful. There are some topics of conversation that never fail to divide a crowd. Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. Certainly not directly. Cost of health care must be addressed, everyone should be required to purchase insurance. 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. That's up from 19% this year and only 8% in 2009. Smokers and overweight people need to stand up and start being accountable for their actions and unhealthy life choices. Yes, I think they should be part of any risk pool their state has. 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. Hey Jack- These people should probably pay more but YOU should pay more attention to the words you use. Yes, Jack, I think the insurance for smokers should be more expensive. Not everyone is meant to be a size two. 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. Most insurance plans cover smoking-cessation programs. Anyone that drinks excessively. We have been paying more for our health care for several years because we smoke. Comments are moderated before they are published. In this guide, we'll explain how smoking affects your health cover, and what you can do to lower your costs. Federal government rules let employers charge smokers up to 50 percent of the cost of their health insurance benefits. California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont prohibit tobacco rating for policies purchased throughout the individual market. SMoking, excessive drinking, over eating should be the responsiblity of the person who practices these activiites. Our patient, weighing over 600 lbs., was above the weight limit of our hospital systems scanner tables and those of all the other major medical centers that we called in our large city. And while we're at it let's throw in really tall people because you never see any really old really tall people around; and drivers too, because automobile accidents kill more people than just about anything else, don't they? Talk to your doctor. People who drink too much alcohol? Smoking tobacco increases your risk of heart disease, lung disease, and other health problems. Figure out your major motivation and use it to help you through your journey. How about diabetics, cancer surviors, the list is endless. Keep track of your milestones. Cost (the biggest problem with health insurance) might go down (or the insurance companies might just take bigger profits!) If you use too much insulinyou'll gain weight (who ever you are). Nonprofit hospitals increasingly rely on philanthropy to supplement decreasing clinical revenues and a decline in the growth of government research funding. What's next then? This is nothing but insurance companies ripping off ignorant consumers. *Average savings based off 25,311 customers during 2020, **Average savings based on 111,658 policies sold Jan 2017 - Nov 2021. That one's a bit harder because while being overweight, such as gross obesity, is a health issue, being overweight is relative and doesn't have as close a correlative relationship to health as smoking does. Health care? But whats this if they can afford it stuff? This is a BETA experience. 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. Although most states allow the surcharge to be up to 50 percent, its not happening, she says. Translation: people who don't quit smoking, lose weight or lower their cholesterol. 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. They already spend more money, on cigs and food, than I do. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to man and counseling a patient to quit smoking is one of the most impactful services a doctor can provide. What a concept. as for smokers , they no wht will happen to them.. an tht question should been broader n liittle mre respected. Stop smoking and spend that money on better food. How about women that keep spitting out babies ? I overheard a pharmaceutical rep entice him with all kinds of freebies to push her drugs. Also, smokers miss 6.16 days of work per year compared to non-smokers' 3.86 days, and four ten-minute smoke breaks equate to . cy from arlington, va. There are health issue associated with those folks as well. Many studies have shown that smokers cost the health care system more and that they cost health insurers more. 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. If you are knowingly putting your health at risk you should be forced to pay more for your insurance. 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. Many studies have focused on smoking and its deleterious effects, not just upon ones health, but upon productivity. And all program materials must disclose the availability of the alternative. So we really do see employers going down this road of setting tobacco-users premium differentials.. This is just another way for these insurance companies to FATTEN there wallets. If you include those who consume alcohol in there i will say yes. Just look at the people riding the motorized shopping carts. And while you're at it tax them MORE too..its only fair. Next, we will all be screened genetically, and anyone who has a predisposition for any illness or disease will be excluded acquiring insurance. To avoid this unfortunate outcome, rate increases should be kept low enough that they do not lead smokers to forego health insurance. the more incentive for people, esp the young, to QUIT smoking the BETTER. Private health insurance wasn't created so everyone could get healthy it is a financial product in the United States. charge higher insurance premiums to employees who smoke, and some companies refuse to hire smokers. Smokers here in the uk pay an incredible amount of vat, and the companies that supply them also pay tax to the government. Of course anyone that eats fast food, or any fried or unhealthy food would need to pay more. Deborah Chollet, a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research in Washington, D.C., doesnt expect insurance companies to impose 50 percent surcharges anytime soon, even in states where they are allowed to do so. Live a healthy lifestyle and you won't have to pay more. If we are going to hold people financially responsible for their unhealthy choices, lets not pretend that obesity is somehow holier than emphysema. 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. Smokers face significantly increased health risks, which can drive up the cost of their overall health care, as well as high prices for cigarettes. The increased tobacco excise taxes are also filling up government coffers to the tune of an estimated $8 billion each year. Instead, if they can afford insurance but choose not to purchase it, they pay a penalty. Posted by Susan Gilbert at 09/19/2013 02:47:13 PM|. More importantly, for the purposes of this post, when surcharges arose in 2014, there was a pretty steep decline in the percent of smokers who purchased insurance. 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. There are too many things that can cause one's life to be shortened. Do you really think about these questions before you post? Sadly, yes ! when they need their Health Insurance". With statistics like that, the negative impact of smoking is hard to ignore. As one who quit smoking 40+ years ago and has struggled throughout my life with my weight, I've been able to control both problems without the aid of health club memberships, weight loss programs etc. After all, those type of people are much more likely to run up high doctor bills. Why should we pay for other people's liabilities? Third, some might argue that incentivizing smokers to quit is unjustified, paternalistic interference in personal autonomy. 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. 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? Othersrebutted that suntanning, eating junk food and drinking alcohol also count as voluntary bad habits that can negatively impact on health. Taking up smoking cessation programs by insurers lowers health insurance premiums for smokers. With intense politicization of pediatric gender medicine, the U.S. needs a systematic review of the evidence for different care options. Of course they should pay more. If that translates into higher premiums; so be it. The authors concluded thatreducing smoking and obesity will not save society health care costs. Where would it end? No you see the importance of everyone being required to have insurance, be it public or private. Fiscal cliff = Thelma & Louise? Should fertile women have to pay more for health insurance than women who can't reproduce? None of us should have to pay anything for health care. No. We all souldn't have to pay for their addictions. David B. Resnik, JD, Ph.D, is a bioethicist at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. Of course, this is America, corporations are free to do anything they want and individuals pay all the freight. Australia: We saved our average customer $320* on their average annual premium! Sooner or later they won't have the money for tobacco or much for food if they are still paying premiums. 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. ET to see if Jack reads your answer on the air. Hehas extensive experience in litigation training for attorneys and has had more than 400 trials. More profit. But is it worth the adde A guide to Overseas Health Cover (OVHC) Visa 600. Why would they stop there? Good luck in getting that bit of reality dealt with. It is the leading risk factor for death and disease in Australia. 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. But I am willing to compromise. "My answer is no they should not pay more, they already pay far more than there share of the tax if they smoke, now if they are overly-fat then it is different as they eat through greed and nothing more. Yes. Since fat people and smokers will die at an earlier age no need to pay more for insurance, since they wont be paying for it much longer. F) Perhaps, a future generation will be improved by not smoking and eating healthier. Calories in minus calories burned should equal zero. These people are choosing to eat more than they burn. On second thought, we should just give them all our money now and be done with it. But is this plan moral? Or somewhat young in age and more prone to colds than older folks? 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. 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