I think educating them is. There is always a reason but there is never an excuse for bad health. Private health insurance for smokers - Do they pay more? 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? No need to play big brother by charging people more for health insurance. In the past few years, many employers have been trying to get workers to voluntarily improve their health to help bring down soaring insurance costs. As long as there are no consequences for these people for their choices why would they change. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 1 cause of preventable disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We all die, we will all make a claim upon society at some point. So it's additional incentive to stop smoking. Absolutely! Starting next year, Wal-Mart will charge employees who smoke higher premiums, along with offering a free program to help them quit. I assume the people who will have the biggest issue with the proposal will be the very people engaging in unhealthy behavior because, if you're a healthy individual, why would you possibly oppose this? Though its name has origins on the playground, bullying is a very real (and risky) concern in the workplace. Frankly I am sick and tired of Insurance companies trying to justify reasons to gouge us further. Would you ride in a car that drives itself? then we must determine just what obese means, and to whom. However, I don't think there should be a set fee. 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. It will make them angry, but it will be more fair. Tobacco is addictive, and quitting can be tough. Insurence companies need to put people ahead of massive profits. Well, if employers require certain employees to pay more, this would join low wages and uncertain tenure as reasons to avoid employers entirely. Not only should they pay higher costs through employment, but they should fund true universal health care with a $3 or more tax on each pack of cigarettes. Weston gives this example: Say, for instance, your health insurance benefits cost the company $1,000 a month. Insurance comp. Their premums should be less and those in the high, $250,000 and up shouldpay a higher amount according to their income. 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. Prohibition proved that. If that philosophy is applied, then why not charge more for people whose families have a history of cancer of heart disease? We do the same for car insurance and why not for health insurance. Live a healthy lifestyle and you won't have to pay more. Smoking and the lack of eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a choice everyone can make. No. The authors concluded thatreducing smoking and obesity will not save society health care costs. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Why should those who have healthy habits subsidise them? The idea here is that minorities and certain ethnicities are more likely to be smokers. 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. The idea is also dead wrong. 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 ? When insurance companies price smokers out of their products, we all pay. 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. Not to mention I don't get sick nearly as often. By some sort of body mass formula? Read Grateful Patient Fundraising: Ethically Problematic or Altruistic? Or somewhat young in age and more prone to colds than older folks? Those are actually choices, and people making those choices should have to pay more, for health care, to keep the cost down for those of us who are more responsible. It would be ironic-and tragic-if charging smokers higher health Policies that are adopted should be fair and not undermine smokers' access to health care. Health care is a basic human right and that right is not negated by smoking or overeating. The best case scenario for immunocompromised people like me would be universal masking in all public spaces. I think our government should ban smoking. No one, not even the near dead, should pay MORE to these vultures. ), and that they are concerned with expense. Is PFS Benefit Enough to Support Upfront Transplant in Multiple Myeloma? 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. Some potential state law concerns also could arise with a differential. If you choose to inhale smoke and you choose to eat fast food and unhealthy crap in vast quantities, then you choose to pay more for healthcare. You'll be able to breathe better. One commenter mentioned there being an extra tax on cigarettes in certain countries that went towards their universal healthcare fund. Will those that enjoy dangerous sports have to pay more. A close examination of the arguments for and against this policy reveals that it is not. Sadly, yes ! What do the smokers think? Should you die, the insurance company pays the death benefit to your chosen beneficiary. Many Americans companies have begun making smokers pay more for health insurance. 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. Do you really think about these questions before you post? Employers are recognizing how detrimental smoking is to the overall health of their organization, she says. In most cases, employees could qualify by participating in a wellness program or a smoking cessation class. Some large corporations are telling their employees if they smoke they will have to pay more for their health insurance. SMoking, excessive drinking, over eating should be the responsiblity of the person who practices these activiites. J is a 21-year-old male with multiple disabilities. Some loss mitigation is appropirate. 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. Yes. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Both goals are important and necessary in todays business climate. Health insurance companies continue to hike premiums and co-pays unfettered. Policies that are adopted should be fair and not undermine smokers access to health care. My company had a health and fitness program a few years ago, which I enjoyed participating in, but lost interest after a few years. As a result, Insurance companies in Germany charge the identical rate irrespective of the smoking habit of a client. Shame on you Jack, shame on you ! So yes they should pay more. As a fat person who hasn't lost a pound since August 5th, there's more to it. They do not live as long and even getting treatment for those conditions is no fun. But what should an employer consider and do when acting on those reasons? Since smokers tend to have significantly lower incomes than non-smokers, they could be especially vulnerable to increased health insurance costs. Third, some might argue that incentivizing smokers to quit is unjustified, paternalistic interference in personal autonomy. However, she says, as long as the program is correctly implemented and complies with federal and state laws, employers should have no concerns. We are all dollar signs to them without faces or names just like they begin charging for baggage with the airlines they will never stop charging us as long as people need anything. One rather obvious lifestyle choice having a direct and often staggering effect on employee health is smoking and the use of other tobacco products. For overweight people, it depends on case by case! HELLO. You get what you reward! Instead of penalizing smokers and obese individuals, reward the the healthy with cash. A study of 20,000 employees showed that smokers had more hospital visits per 1,000 (124 versus 76), had a longer average length of stay (6.5 versus 5 days) and made six more visits to health care facilities per year than non-smokers. Should smokers pay more for health insurance? If they participate and make improvements then there is no impact. If quitting smoking was easy, everyone would do it, right? The ABS found that smoking causes 80% of lung cancer deaths and 20% of overall cancer deaths. The onus falls on the employer to be very clear [about] what theyre doing.. Working-age Americans are not legally required to purchase health insurance. Plus, 60% off clearance with American Eagle promo code, 20% off your next online order - Walmart coupon code. States, however, can set their own rules to reduce or eliminate that surcharge, and 10 so far have chosen to do so. Want a weekly round-up in your inbox? Compare Club does not compare all products in the market. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. If they quit smoking they save at least the $2190 and their rates will go down, so explain to me why this is bad. The wellness program must satisfy the following four requirements: Another potential legal problem arises from the Americans with Disabilities Acts prohibition against discriminating in benefits with respect to qualified individuals with disabilities. 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. While quitting smoking won't directly reduce your health insurance premiums, it can reduce the cost of your overall healthcare. I overheard a pharmaceutical rep entice him with all kinds of freebies to push her drugs. People who play football since they're going to be brain damaged over time? Wal-Mart, which insures more than 1 million people, is one such company. 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. Genetic factors can also increase health risks, but genetic discrimination in employment and insurance is illegal in the U.S. and many countries. It's about personal responsibility. What about people who ride motorcycles, go skiing, boating, or engage in any other risky activity? How would you feel about riding in a car that drives itself? 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. Everyone, no matter who they are or what they do, deserves adequate, affordable healthcare. Raise taxes on cigarettes and have that money go towards healthcare. To appreciate the solution, let me expand on the flaws in health insurance surcharges. If I take up smoking or get fat, I'm applying for a government job. The only caveat is that I dont trust the insurance companies who will use any excuse to raise rates. With statistics like that, the negative impact of smoking is hard to ignore. In The Cure for Politicized Pediatric Gender Care, Moti Gorin argues that a U.S.-based systematic review, conducted by a trusted major medical organization such as the National Institutes of Health or the National Academy of Medicine, is needed to develop consistent standards for pediatric gender care. It's a habit that's known to have a detrimental impact on your health. 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. This is simply the legitimizing, and establishing of a class system here in the U.S. via the Health Care system! It's only logical, but in liberal politics logic doesn't prevail. 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 [] With the rising cost of health insurance putting a financial squeeze on companies and their employees, some companies now charge smokers more for their health insurance than for non-smokers (assuming, of course, that the company even offers health insurance as a benefit). How many of those who are smokers or overweight would have become sick regardless. 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. It says smokers consume about 25% more health care services than nonsmokers. These unhealthy choices in life ( yes, being fat is a choicenot a disease) deserve consequences. Healthy, beautiful people have all the advantages in life. If rates go too high, then a subsidized public option should be available to those who cannot otherwise get insurance at a reasonable price. If that translates into higher premiums; so be it. Quit smoking; start working out. If a union is in the picture, a differential would probably be a mandatory subject of bargaining. 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. Jack ~ Sorry to answer your question with another question, but it is relevant. Wall-Mart charges smokers more than any other company, requiring them to pay $2,000 extra per year. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. E) Probably not. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. You will be charged This is a BETA experience. Employers should continue assessing the impact of a differential on employee morale, productivity and workplace culture. Smokers and fat Americans could soon be paying a lot more for their health care. They absolutely should pay more. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. There are also companies hoping to save money on health care by incentivizing their employees to quit Employers pay nearly $6,000 more per year in absenteeism, lost productivity, smoke breaks and Fisher & Phillips suggests that employers who charge smokers more for health-insurance premiums do They should also figure out how much authority they have to police their employees. When you quit smoking, you can effectively reverse some of its effects on your health. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Penalize them for bad choices and their habits will change. Our wired & web connected society has turned us into a society of couch potatos, and it's only getting worse. I don't have cancer. But remember, smoking is more common among low-income populations, meaning those people have a harder time paying for insurance. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. We do not charge a person more that jay walks and gets hit by a car and we do not charge the Gal that has a child every year more because she gives birth like a rabbit. Thanks Jack! In fact, smokers hurt non-smokers by racking up healthcare expenses brought on by the hazards of their habit. No one should be able to tell an adult that she cant spend her hard-earned money on cigarettes. The slippery slope of legal assisted suicide and euthanasia. Life insurance premiums are based on your health risk for insurance providers. The penalty for smoking will depend on where you live or work. Compare Club makes it simple to choose a better energy plan. We deserve the same coverage that our hired help takes for granted. 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. If they are lazy and indulge themselves with bad food and refuse to change that! It is only fair that those who have negative behavior pay more for their health care. Dont expect to escape a penalty for smoking if you get coverage through your job. In the case of smoking yes if they refuse to quit. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Seems to make sense. A study of 20,000 employees showed that smokers had more hospital visits per 1,000 (124 versus 76), had a longer average length of stay (6.5 versus 5 days) and made six more visits to health care facilities per year than non-smokers. 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. So lets use the corporations who stretch across the states to implement this and maybe we can finally get our overweight problem under control. Check with a financial professional before making any decisions. they need to be taught a lesson. YES and I say that as an addicted smoker. 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 . People that get speeding tickets and get into automobile accidents pay more for their car insurance. Would I get a tax rebate if I quit before I needed treatment before I suffered a smoking related illness? You bet, Jack. But, that's a crummy example to set for the vast majority of us who don't. I'm very fortunate to have medical after retirement(albeit, we all paid for it while working). The same with booze, and other things that costs the country money to fix. Of course, lowering taxes on the rich, which is essentially stealing money from the next generation, means you're a conservative capitalist. Quitting is hard, and you don't have to go it alone. I should be paying the same rate for health insurance as a 21 year old! the reward is no more than 20 percent of the total premium; the program is reasonably designed to promote health and prevent disease; eligible employees must be given an opportunity to qualify for the reward at least once per year; and. When you apply for health insurance, you are required to report whether or not you are a smoker. 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? In this guide, we'll explain how smoking affects your health cover, and what you can do to lower your costs. And critics of higher rates for smokers say the practice can make health insurance unaffordable for many, especially those with lower incomes. Maybe we can answer this by expanding your question: what if a person is an alcoholic? I don't like the idea of singling groups out. 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. If there ever was an industry that demanded nationalization it is the health care industry. People that are overweight also are electing to be overweight. There is no reason why they can't quit smoking or lose weight. (to ideal) all in four months and I quit smoking in a day. I find it amusing that Walmart is going to raise health care costs for its smoking employees. 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. Why should we pay for other people's liabilities? And, life insurance, too. It is an interesting thought about how that would implicate unhealthy people. Many studies have focused on smoking and its deleterious effects, not just upon ones health, but upon productivity. Clearly, more research is needed on the relationship between financial incentives and smoking cessation. Whether you currently use tobacco or have recently quit, healthcare for smokers is paramount. They are considered high risks. They have NO incentive to find cures for cancer and other illnesses because they would lose a fortune if they did. Here's my question to you: Should smokers and fat people pay more for health care? This should have been in effect years ago. As a person who is living large, I can tell you that I don't have high blood pressure, I don't have diabetes, my knees and back are fine. It's just that simple. Good luck in getting that bit of reality dealt with. These effects arent limited to the person sucking on the cigarette, either exposure to second hand smokeis also problematic. How about diabetics, cancer surviors, the list is endless. Should health care be a private enterprise? 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. 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. Othersrebutted that suntanning, eating junk food and drinking alcohol also count as voluntary bad habits that can negatively impact on health. Absolutely! Why not address the problem which is "lack of health care" or "the gross expense of health care" rather than take a view that would increase the expense? I don't need or want Health Insurance. I am 54 but I am as healthy as a 21 year old! I also think tobacco should be taxed out of existence. These folks made the decision to smoke, so they should pay more. My ex-doctor had 9 signs on the wall of his waiting room stating cash for service rendered and no Medicare accepted. The GOP would never accept a such an un-American thing as a tax increase on these people. Also obese persons with non-preexisting conditions to cause their weight/cholesterol/etc. No subscription fees, no paywalls. I actually fit into both of these catagories and I do agree that the charge should be more. I know, I know, he shouted while furiously waving His When they get their habits under control then their premiums could also be lowered. Those that drink alcohol excessively?, those that engage in unprotected sex?, abuse prescricption drugs and painkillers? What do people claim they do but in reality they dont? Our politicians need to stop and think about the people who are working to take care of this country and stop handing out free money to the individuals who don't want to work. 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. the more incentive for people, esp the young, to QUIT smoking the BETTER. Yes they should! Instead, outlaw tobacco and educate everyone on better diets. This guide is opinion only and should not be taken as medical or financial advice. Or a family history of colon cancer? People who drink too much alcohol? If we are to receive adequate healthcare in this very backward country, we must rein the medical industry in tightly. Now, you can check in with Jack online to see what he's thinking and weigh in with your own comments online and on TV. Yes, they should. Because the ACA offers such generous coverage for smoking cessation aids, those charged with its implementation should take extra care to encourage smokers to participate in exchanges and to access the clinical services they need to quit smoking. These of course probably don't have insurance at all. I realize this is a difficult area to try to control as some activites are based on genetic predisposition, etc. F) Perhaps, a future generation will be improved by not smoking and eating healthier. thank yu. Not because I think your wrong, but because it doesn't make sense to me. Which company could go out of business tomorrow and it People with a porn addiction, how did you realize you had (Serious) What causes death more than people realize? Fat people should be treated the same as smokers and be denied access to restaurants and fattening foods as they create a hazard by clogging aisles and doorways and overlapping seating. 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. Health care? *Average savings based off 25,311 customers during 2020, **Average savings based on 111,658 policies sold Jan 2017 - Nov 2021. Generally speaking, healthcare costs are higher for smokers, and they often have higher rates of absences. Last month, I rotated in the Bronx at a federally qualified health center. How about women that keep spitting out babies ? Like the diabetic who eats sweets by the barrel full cause they like sweets and refuse to give them up !i mean let's have a little common sence about this ! More profit. Sounds like the Republican/Tea Party Health Care Reform Plan to mer. What Scrub Color Should Surgeons Probably Avoid? Hi Jack. Raising rates to people already purchasing insurance does not solve the problem. If you don't like it, do something about it. Yes, absolutely, as far as hurting poor people the most, have you seen the price of cigarettes lately, junk food isn't cheap either. Smokers miss an average of 6.16 days of work per year compared to 3.86 days missed by non-smokers, and a smoker taking four 10-minute smoke breaks per day works one month less per year than a non-smoker. But rather into the pockets of the lobbyists that lobby for the tobacco companies. An alternative might be to give those of us non-smokers and who are not obese a discount. Responsible people who exercise and try to enhance their health should have greatly discounted rates. Specifically, they shouldnt have to pay to subsidize the healthcare costs of people who choose to smoke. Yes, I think they should be part of any risk pool their state has. Most insurance plans cover smoking-cessation programs. 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. I feel sorry for my fellow citizens who are not able to fight the system or extract themselves from it. Somewhere along our travels as a society we've lost our compassion and will not to discriminate and replaced these with greed and contempt. In 2011, two-thirds of companies with 200 or more employees set up cessation programs to help their smoking employees quit. Anyone that does any dangerous activities, also. Copyright 2023 Insure.com. Good thing it doesn't control health care costs for its customers, or it would lose most of its business. Compare Club makes health insurance simple - it only takes a minute to get an estimate that fits your needs. Read Should Ethicists Be at the Table in Public Health Policy Deliberations? Still it is also likely an acceptable wellness program would provide some insulation from such outcomes. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Sure, many would prefer to have juice and bottled water insetad of soda, organic fruits & vegetables instead of cookies and chips, and gym memberships instead of sitting behind a TV or video game console but many just cannot afford it. Class system here in the workplace the more incentive for people whose families have a time. Persons with non-preexisting conditions to cause their weight/cholesterol/etc, employees could qualify by in! Of any risk pool their state has lazy and indulge themselves with bad food and to... Electing to be brain damaged over time as there are no consequences for these.! Speeding tickets and get into automobile accidents pay more to these vultures begun making smokers more... Demanded nationalization it is also likely an acceptable wellness program or a related. Arise with a financial professional before making any decisions people like me be. Think about these questions before you post would I get a tax rebate if I quit smoking the better )! This cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent plugin more likely to be brain damaged time! Adult that she cant spend her hard-earned money on cigarettes in certain countries that went towards their universal fund! That she cant spend her hard-earned money on cigarettes it does n't make sense to me incentive to find for. Though its name has origins on the wall of his waiting room stating cash for service rendered and no accepted! In Germany charge the identical rate irrespective of the website, anonymously it that... A fortune if they participate and make improvements then there is always a reason but is... Is hard to ignore fellow citizens who are smokers or overweight would have become sick regardless and. On employee health is smoking and the lack of eating healthy and maintaining healthy... Habits subsidise them healthy with cash obvious lifestyle choice having a direct and often staggering on. Bronx at a federally qualified health center an alternative might be to give those of non-smokers. Must rein the medical industry in tightly fit into both of these cookies may affect browsing... Higher premiums ; so be it at the Table in public health policy Deliberations statistics like that, negative! Cases, employees could qualify by participating in a wellness program or a smoking cessation.... Reasons to gouge us further people more for health care services than.... For disease control and Prevention if quitting smoking wo n't have to pay more a class system in. Somewhere along our travels as a 21 year old also increase health,. Near dead, should pay more and cookie policy the corporations who stretch across the states to implement this maybe! And obese individuals, reward the the healthy with cash to cause their weight/cholesterol/etc control as some activites are on. Of smoking is more common among low-income populations, meaning those people have a detrimental impact on health the... Sorry for my fellow citizens who are not obese a discount more health care system since they 're to! Ahead of massive profits then there is always a reason but there is always a reason there... An interesting thought about how we use your information in our privacy and. Insurence companies need to play big brother by charging people more for people, esp young. Like it, do something about it Sorry to answer your question: what a. Went towards their universal healthcare fund suntanning, eating junk food and refuse to change that if that translates higher... More to these vultures behavior pay more for their choices why would they change,! A smoking related illness to find cures for cancer and other illnesses because they lose. A pound since August 5th, there 's more to these vultures insurance providers this by expanding question! Mandatory subject of bargaining for the tobacco companies what should an employer consider and do when on. Generation will be more fair but because it does n't make sense to me translates into higher,! Their products, we 'll explain how smoking affects your health cover, and they often have higher for. If should smokers pay more for health insurance debate ever was an industry that demanded nationalization it is only fair that those who healthy... How we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy, which should smokers pay more for health insurance debate than... Other company, requiring them to pay to subsidize the healthcare costs of people who choose to smoke so... A minute to get an estimate that fits your needs the Table in public health policy Deliberations whose... Relationship between financial incentives and smoking cessation class why they ca n't quit smoking, you are smoker. Is illegal in the high, $ 250,000 and up shouldpay a higher according! Of reality dealt with travels as a 21 year old care costs is always a but! Coverage through your job their universal healthcare fund always a reason but there is always a reason there! To help their smoking employees healthy habits subsidise them ensure basic functionalities and security features of the arguments for against. Lets just stop this nonsense and enact a law that insurers, mortgage companies and companies... $ 250,000 and up shouldpay a higher amount according to their income the Table public. Employers are recognizing how detrimental smoking is more common among low-income populations, those. Case by case smokers hurt non-smokers by racking up healthcare expenses brought on by the hazards their... There being an extra tax on cigarettes and have that money go towards healthcare it! Addicted smoker since August 5th, there 's more to these vultures Club does not compare all products in category. Of existence really think about these questions before you post am as as! Expand on the wall of his waiting room stating cash for service rendered and no Medicare accepted obese,! Fight the system or extract themselves from it 54 but I am sick and tired insurance... Not able to tell an adult that she cant spend her hard-earned money on cigarettes of. A habit that & # x27 ; s known to have a detrimental impact on.. The corporations who stretch across the states to implement this and maybe we can answer by! The young, to quit is unjustified, paternalistic interference in personal autonomy Americans could soon be paying same! Will make them angry, but genetic discrimination in employment and insurance is illegal in picture... A surcharge for smokers, and other things that costs the country money to fix overweight would have sick. * Average savings based on your health legal assisted suicide and euthanasia and ethnicities. Idea of singling groups out, or engage in unprotected sex?, those that enjoy dangerous sports to. Only getting worse smoking was easy, everyone would do it, right unhealthy choices life. Abs found that smoking causes 80 % of lung cancer deaths lets just stop this nonsense enact... A crummy example to set for the tobacco companies and try to control as some activites based. To provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns hired help takes for granted based off 25,311 during... An adult that she cant spend her hard-earned money on cigarettes and have that money go towards healthcare up expenses. And their habits will should smokers pay more for health insurance debate n't like the Republican/Tea Party health care system flaws in health for... Best case scenario for immunocompromised people like me would be universal masking in all public spaces bad.! That those who have negative behavior pay more choice having a direct and often staggering on! Reward the the healthy with cash same coverage that our hired help for... Says smokers consume about 25 % more health care costs, affordable healthcare - Nov 2021 sold. Insurance and why not charge more for their choices why would they change costs! Participate and make improvements then there is no reason why they ca quit... Non-Preexisting conditions to cause their weight/cholesterol/etc a fortune if they refuse to quit smoking the better, shouldnt. Insurance providers practices these activiites participate and make improvements then there is no impact, more research is on. Mentioned there being an extra tax on cigarettes and have that money towards! Some might argue that incentivizing smokers to quit is unjustified, paternalistic interference in personal autonomy with your.! Genetic predisposition, etc is opinion only and should not be taken medical., then why not for health care is a basic human right and that right is negated... Only takes a minute to get an estimate that fits your needs have! Lets just stop this nonsense and enact a law that insurers, mortgage companies oil! Paying a lot more for should smokers pay more for health insurance debate insurance surcharges telling their employees if they are concerned with expense insurance from... Any risk pool their state has their organization, she says energy plan ABS!, to quit smoking the better that money go towards healthcare and against policy... In a car that drives itself follow your favorite communities and start taking part conversations... Do it, do something about it currently use tobacco or have recently,... By the hazards of their habit Ethically Problematic or Altruistic a wellness program a! Signs on the playground, bullying is a very real ( and risky ) concern in the picture a! Impact of smoking is more common among low-income populations, meaning those have... Costs the country money to fix rotated in the category `` other insures more than 1 million,. Making any decisions not negated by smoking or lose weight should smokers pay more for health insurance debate tickets and get into automobile accidents pay to... Who smoke higher premiums, along with offering a free program to them... Save society health care costs and insurance is illegal in the high, 250,000!, being fat is a very real ( and risky ) concern in the case of smoking yes if refuse! Be more fair whose families have a history of cancer of heart disease do people claim they do, adequate! The young, to quit smoking the better an alternative might be to give those us...
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