I guess intellectual consistency isn't our strong suit. 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. Seems to make sense. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Therefore, they cost LESS than non-smokers who live longer and who will suffer other costly age-related diseases. They already spend more money, on cigs and food, than I do. That goes against everything the Grand Old Party stands for. 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. Russian TV Touts a Big Victory in Ukraine. As long as there are no consequences for these people for their choices why would they change. Isn't it time somebody DONE somthing about this stuff ?! Pomona CA, That is disgrace full answer to ask abt fat people, wht happen to people feeling. 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. Though smoking is often seen as an adult issue, we should continue to support the many excellent anti-smoking campaigns and participate in research that helps us understand how to encourage adolescents that have started smoking to kick some butt. 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(if applicable) for The Wall Street Journal. Or addicted to prescription medication? I am a smoker for 14 years now and my answer to the question is; YES! Would I get a tax rebate if I quit before I needed treatment before I suffered a smoking related illness? The onus falls on the employer to be very clear [about] what theyre doing.. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Why wouldn't they increase premiums for women who's mothers or grandmothers had breast cancer or if you have an increased risk of heart disease because of family history. Tobacco is addictive, and quitting can be tough. Lastly I don't want to hear about poor people being harmed by this. 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. Unsurprisingly, the majority of them are not in favor of having to pay more for their health insurance premiums. If I chose to remain fat by following an unhealthy lifestyle then I should pay the cost for the consequences. YES and I say that as an addicted smoker. is this what we want to teach our kids? The ABS found that smoking causes 80% of lung cancer deaths and 20% of overall cancer deaths. That's their problem! Let's take smokers. Rewarding criminals and people who have no will to be responsible for their lives is what is destroying our Country! I think popular Cable News Personalities should pay more for Health Care. Second, even if charging smokers higher insurance rates encourages them to stop smoking, reducing smoking may not save society any money. Yes. Jeopardy without a thermos of hot tea or a pack of splints, or boaters who cross the Pacific and get tossed overboard, should be charged more as well, including for the helicopters required to haul their sick bodies home. Get in touch. That translates into $1,250 per household, mostly in taxes and insurance premiums. 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. Carol Duh-Leong is a medical student who blogs atProgress Notes. Everytime they have to payout for something, we should automatically charge everybody else with a similar condition twice as much. Good question. I know, I know, he shouted while furiously waving His Genetic factors can also increase health risks, but genetic discrimination in employment and insurance is illegal in the U.S. and many countries. Become part of a like-minded community. Why should those who have healthy habits subsidise them? Whether it's one day, one month, or one year, it's a cause for celebration. 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. So instead, companies are now going to start making these employees pay more. Currently numerous state governments and private companies such as Macys and PepsiCo. Third, some might argue that incentivizing smokers to quit is unjustified, paternalistic interference in personal autonomy. By some sort of body mass formula? While the intent behind his call is well-intended, it is based on a flawed premise. Specifically, they shouldnt have to pay to subsidize the healthcare costs of people who choose to smoke. 6."Health Insurance Surcharges for Tobacco Users: State and Federal Rules." Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1- 844-704-7357), 24 hours a day/7 days. I think educating them is. Wal-Mart, which insures more than 1 million people, is one such company. Should you die, the insurance company pays the death benefit to your chosen beneficiary. Nearly three-quarters of people in households with with annual income of $100,000 or more . Why would anybody else have to pay for my poor choices? This is a long term problem that will take 50 years to correct in our society and it begins in the classroom when children our young with mandatory daily courses in health and physical education. came here to say this, and I agree. Some employers are hesitant to impose a tobacco users surcharge for fear they could be sued, Weston says. Yes Yes yes and More more more! Some Liberal Democrat(s) in Washington stated that it's discriminasting against fat people and smokers, that's why we all have to pay. Only if we charge more for people who drive cars, motorcycle riders, skiers, people who drink alcohol more than a couple of times a week, people who eat unhealthily, people who live in dangerous neighborhoods, people who have lots of stress, people undergoing divorces, single people, people who engage in unsafe sex, people who say shit to people who might kick their ass, people in groups likely to be targeted by violence, athletes, and people who work desk jobs. As for smokers, that is much more clear-cut and it would make sense to raise rates for those. On every pack of cigarettes there are warning that indicate they are hazardous to your health. There should be more places where only smokers can smoke freely. What are they planning for the medicaid system, smokers and fat individuals that receive public assistance and free insurance. 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But then, when people, known as "humans", fall prey to this propaganda blitz and believe that cigarettes make them cool and ice cream will make them happy, then they and they alone are responsible for the consequences? 88% of smokers began smoking before age 18. Read New York Citys Involuntary Commitment Plan: Fulfilling a Moral Obligation? For overweight people, it depends on case by case! Thus, charging smokers higher rates would imply a commitment to higher rates for people who are obese, have high cholesterol, or engage in hazardous activities, such as motorcycle riding. I excersize daily and I have a positive outlook on life. HORRIBLE! But it shouldnt protect people who deliberately engage in behaviours which add to their risk profile., When the findings of today's survey came up inThe Glowoffice, it immediately prompted some strong opinions. Hi Jack. Weston gives this example: Say, for instance, your health insurance benefits cost the company $1,000 a month. The debate continues, because ultimately smoking is a voluntary act that undoubtedly affects individual health and, in turn, the public and private healthcare system. What Scrub Color Should Surgeons Probably Avoid? When you quit smoking, you can effectively reverse some of its effects on your health. 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. That is the right solution, not charging people more for health insurance because they have a problem. Then we get into a whole debate over which stupid behavior deserves discounted healthcare and which doesn't. How about women that keep spitting out babies ? Community rating is there to protect people who, through no fault of their own, through things they cant control like their age, that theyre not penalised, NIB Managing Director Mark Fitzgibbonsaid at the time. The under-25s are least likely to support the principle of solidarity in healthcare, with almost half saying leading an unhealthy lifestyle is grounds for higher health insurance premiums. So if you can get people to quit these expensive habits how in the hell are you hurting them? How would you prove that the condition was directly caused by smoking, rather than being a pre-existing illness? This is why congressman Paul Ryan and fellow republicans love health insurance companiesmore money in the end for them. The ideal loan customer at a bank is someone who doesn't actually need the money. Hell no. Smokers do not currently pay more for health insurance premiums, due to Australia's community-rated health insurance system. (post continues after gallery.). There are two main ethical arguments for charging smokers higher insurance rates. Get fat on steroids from their asthama? Dave from NH. The prospect of paying higher health insurance rates would provide a powerful financial motivation to stop smoking. One colleague agreed with the majority of respondents, arguing, "Why should I have to pay the same amount as someone who chooses to voluntarily ingest poison?". They will save a fortune if they quit buying cigarettes. "Fat" people. "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. 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. 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. Tagged as: 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. It needs to be a flat rate for everyone. 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