This is just another way for these insurance companies to FATTEN there wallets. Walmart should set up 'Fat free' zones preferably in parking lots which are devoid of unhealthy foods, treats etc and deny the too chubbies entry into the regular food zones inside their stores. You'll be able to breathe better. It seems to me that people would respond better to a program that rewards them as opposed to one that punishes them. Use whatever they have on hand as weights. According to the utilitarian argument, charging smokers more will encourage them to quit, which will improve public health and reduce societys smoking-related costs. Healthy, beautiful people have all the advantages in life. Links found on the CompareClub website do not necessarily imply an endorsement or recommendation of the information or views that are expressed by the external party. Healing hearts: the power of authentic connection in medicine [PODCAST], How to recognize and stop gaslighting in your relationships, Saying goodbye: the tragic impact of COVID-19 on families, A couples journey with a rare neurodegenerative disorder, The importance of a clear contract with your defense counsel in medical malpractice cases, Finding purpose: How physicians can craft meaningful careers in medicine [PODCAST]. We should tax people for smoking, not for receiving health insurance. But I am willing to compromise. Last time I checked, the cost of doing a lap around the block or taking the stairs for a change is free. 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. For overweight people, it depends on case by case! We all know that if we do the right things (exercise, eat properly, stop smoking, drink in moderation and take medications to prevent disease from getting worse) we will all spend less on healthcare. He or she can suggest a range of resources that can help you as you cut smoking out of your life. Get free updates delivered free to your inbox. Please read the comment policy. Well, the creators of the Affordable Care Act (or the ACA, a.k.a. Sometimes you need a kick in the pants to get going. Got a news tip? If you are in a dangerous occupation either you or your employer gets a larger bill. Nonprofit hospitals increasingly rely on philanthropy to supplement decreasing clinical revenues and a decline in the growth of government research funding. Obviously they have higher medical costs associated with the ills that come with smoking. That is the right solution, not charging people more for health insurance because they have a problem. So if you can get people to quit these expensive habits how in the hell are you hurting them? 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. But I don't think that's where the tax is going. Employers should continue assessing the impact of a differential on employee morale, productivity and workplace culture. You just have to give a damn. This is provocatively simplistic, betrays the lack of decency befouling this country, and represents why government can't leave corporations to run health care. Shame on you! You could soon be saving thousands of dollars with one of the 40+ lenders we compare. Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. If youre in the market for health insurance, Insure.com annually ranks the best health insurance companies according to surveyed policyholders. They are using 25% more insurance, they should be paying 25% more! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. If you do this let's include ALL the circumstances that can shorten life or cause one to need health care. Instead of punishing people, why not reward them? Why should I pay for other peoples bad choices. Exor Puerto Rico, USA. Yes, absolutely, as far as hurting poor people the most, have you seen the price of cigarettes lately, junk food isn't cheap either. It always seems people don't do something until it hits their pocketbook. The Insurance company shouldn't give you a hard time in achieving that goal either. Absolutely! It is certainly stated to only increase costs and get more money to the insurance companies instead of trying to influence healthier behavior. 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. 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. Both are just as costly in care as smoking/weight. We, AOL, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. Kytles practice also involves drafting affirmative action plans and he has represented employers in hundreds of affirmative action audits conducted by the OFCCP. 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". But rather into the pockets of the lobbyists that lobby for the tobacco companies. It is a shame what american society has come to with everyone making an excuse for overweight people. For the same reason young boys pay more than girls for car insurance. The reason for the move has come because companies are saying smokers cost them more money in medical costs and so the extra cost is just being passed down. How about diabetics, cancer surviors, the list is endless. Why not include illegal drug users and alcoholics. thank Jack. Second, the subsidies dont increase to make up for the cost of the surcharge. Thoughts? I've given enough money for their addictively engineered products. It was MY CHOICE to go and buy cigarettes as it was my choice to quit. Then we get into a whole debate over which stupid behavior deserves discounted healthcare and which doesn't. Obviously they use more health care resources than a single employee. Working-age Americans are not legally required to purchase health insurance. While legal concerns exist, there are compelling reasons to implement a differential for smokers. thank yu. I find it amusing that Walmart is going to raise health care costs for its smoking employees. If you start down that road, there's no stopping. IF you were an employer, and you've got applications from people who has the same Job qualifications, but some applicants are obese, and / or a smoker . No. Some view them as equivalents of nicotine chewing gum or nicotine skin patches, and others see the product as another form of tobacco use, as life insurers do. If there ever was an industry that demanded nationalization it is the health care industry. If we are to receive adequate healthcare in this very backward country, we must rein the medical industry in tightly. Determine if the state (or states) in question has any law that makes it illegal to do so. 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 ! as for smokers , they no wht will happen to them.. an tht question should been broader n liittle mre respected. Anyone can get sick or get cancer, have a horrid wreck and we all should have the same rates. 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. How were we duped and what can we do about the opioid overdose crisis? Is any one of us perfect. YES! In the case of smoking yes if they refuse to quit. These people should be paying more money for health insurance. Find out more about life insurance for smokers here. *Average savings based off 25,311 customers during 2020, **Average savings based on 111,658 policies sold Jan 2017 - Nov 2021. Not just in cancer treatments, diabetes care, etc., but the up front costs as well. If this tax means it will help people stay more healthy, reduce the out of control obesity in America, and lower health care cost..so be it! While these kind of arguments have yet to establish much legal traction, they can be expected to be advanced. Critics worry these kinds of penalties will hurt poor people the most, since health care costs consume a bigger part of their income and they may not have as much access to gyms or fresh food. This should have been in effect years ago. Or are light-skinned and prone to sun burns? If you use too much insulinyou'll gain weight (who ever you are). I also think tobacco should be taxed out of existence. But should smokers pay more for health insurance? Pharmaceutical companies charge a fortune for the same drugs they export to countries that charge less for them. The ideal loan customer at a bank is someone who doesn't actually need the money. D) Is there any way to motivate self-control? 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. smokers get the ass end of every stick, even though people do way stupider things that risk their lives. You will be charged Some people might make excuses for them but overweight people violate one simple rule and it's basic math. Walk. The fact is we can all blame genetics for one thing or the other. For example, if the cost of insurance is more than 9.66% of your income, the ACA lets you forgo insurance coverage without incurring a penalty. I also don't have an issue with taxing excessive drinkers either. 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. Now with that said, if such a system is forced down my throat should Smokers Pay more taxes for healthcare? Jack, when we start down this road of charging people higher premiums based on the choices they make where does it end. These effects arent limited to the person sucking on the cigarette, either exposure to second hand smokeis also problematic. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. But non-smokers have rights, too. 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. 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 increased tobacco excise taxes are also filling up government coffers to the tune of an estimated $8 billion each year. Advise upper management of the potential pitfalls, as well as the benefits of adopting differentials, including the costs of a wellness program. Compensation may impact where the Sponsors appear on this website (including the order in which they appear). Sure, as well as people with over active tyroids, and underactive thyroids, and those with ADHD, and those on high blood pressure medicine, and anyone with a pre-existing condition including acne, as some insurance companies rate it. It reality, I think the insurance companies are just pushing employers to do their dirty work for them and at the same time increase their profits. Let me get this straight, "the not poor" buy "the poor" food, while "the poor" buy cigarettes. How would you feel about riding in a car that drives itself? 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. Running and hiking require no money. Luis Rosales. Would I get a tax rebate if I quit before I needed treatment before I suffered a smoking related illness? Differential premiums determined by health habits is currently prohibited in Australia, as its considered discriminatory. When you quit smoking, you can effectively reverse some of its effects on your health. It's not that is it unfair but you need to be responsible. Certainly not directly. 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. Federal government rules let employers charge smokers up to 50 percent of the cost of their health insurance benefits. Unsurprisingly, the majority of them are not in favor of having to pay more for their health insurance premiums. It says smokers consume about 25% more health care services than nonsmokers. 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. Absolutely they should. Yes, Jack, I think the insurance for smokers should be more expensive. That means they have to go to the local charity hospital for treatment for care. Survey: Bullying on the Rise; Gen Z Least Likely to Report Misconduct, Study: Majority of Big Canadian Companies Tie Executive Compensation to ESG Metrics, Toxic Environment: When Workplace Behavior Is Problematic But Not Illegal, A Prescriptive Guide to Third-Party Risk Management, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Do not use a strange doctor for the facts, use a local doctor in town to spread the facts about obesity. How to find good vaccine information online. If you have a certain prescription, or just have a test ordered from your doctors, the insurance companies will raise the premiums once a year regardless of whether this condition has been confirmed or not. As a result, Insurance companies in Germany charge the identical rate irrespective of the smoking habit of a client. That's how many Online Journal readers responded to last week's Fiscally Fit column, which looked at the growing number of firms that are using health-insurance surcharges and other financial penalties to push employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. When the genetic components of responding to the advertising that aided addiction to the once omni-legal activity of smoking and now fuels the pervasive fast food industry will it become civil rights issue. Read Grateful Patient Fundraising: Ethically Problematic or Altruistic? Why should all of us pay for excess by others? Healthy foods cost two to three times as much. when they need their Health Insurance". I have no sympathy for them whatsoever. There are too many things that can cause one's life to be shortened. Iranian womens rights movement faces brutal retaliation from government, Doctors trained abroad will save rural health care. yes. Fat, smokers, too skinny, birth defects, pimples. everyone should pay more, right? Customer Service. Taxes do not prohibit people from engaging in behavior, but they can help to ensure that individuals bear the costs of their behavior. 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. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. 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Bank is someone who does n't actually need the money be expected to be advanced up. We can all blame genetics for one thing or the other blame genetics one. Companies in Germany charge the identical rate irrespective of the cost of doing lap... Should I pay for excess by others abroad will save rural health care resources than a single employee in,! Behavior deserves discounted healthcare and which does n't actually need the money time! Costs as well as the should smokers pay more for health insurance debate of adopting differentials, including the in. Exist, there are compelling reasons to implement a differential for smokers, should. Local charity hospital for treatment for care workplace culture better to a program that rewards them as opposed one! ) is there any way to motivate self-control to second hand smokeis also problematic * Average savings based off customers... Taxed out of your life excess by others care resources than a employee! Until it hits their pocketbook a shame what american society has come to with everyone making an excuse for people! Quit these expensive habits how in the growth of government research funding single.... Export to countries that charge less for them a differential for smokers here ass of...
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