Australia's private health cover system is community rated, which means that people get the same price for a policy no matter their age, gender, or health status. The idea that poor people will be hurt by this is ridiculous. And the fat cat CEO's should go on a compensation diet so that more of the money they collect in premiums goes to heath care. Sometimes you need a kick in the pants to get going. Here's my question to you: Should smokers and fat people pay more for health care? Check with a financial professional before making any decisions. That might apply to most of us the way the economy is going for the middle class. 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. If there ever was an industry that demanded nationalization it is the health care industry. When surcharges are steep, lots of smokers forgo insurance, despite receiving subsidies and/or facing tax penalties. The same goes for obesity. What Scrub Color Should Surgeons Probably Avoid? Increasingly, companies are answering yes, and asking smokers to pay higher health insurance premiums than their non-smoking colleaguesor even not hiring them altogether. This is a great idea. In a society where brand marketing has glorified unhealthy habits including smoking, video games and fast food over the years, it seems as a society we are struggling to correct these mistakes. 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! I don't think it matters that muchwhether you smoke, eat alot, or attack an ant hill in your back yard with a knife and fork. Come on, being fat and being a smoker are BOTH addictions and choices, just like a drug addict. Insurence companies need to put people ahead of massive profits. I overheard a pharmaceutical rep entice him with all kinds of freebies to push her drugs. Think of the savings in paperwork. Since tax payer dollars fund that healthcare, it only seems fitting that people who smoke should pay more. Sign up to Stock Advisor for $79 for 1 year, All Jeans + Pants 25% off! Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. What if we asked patients what they want? Smokers do not currently pay more for health insurance premiums, due to Australia's community-rated health insurance system. Yes, I think they should be part of any risk pool their state has. But, that's a crummy example to set for the vast majority of us who don't. Jack ~ Sorry to answer your question with another question, but it is relevant. How about people paying more if they drink more than one glass of wine a day or have sex more than once a year or drink more than 4 glasses of water a day? I've given enough money for their addictively engineered products. Cost of health care must be addressed, everyone should be required to purchase 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. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Which Studies Will be Practice Changing in Metastatic Breast Cancer? This is why congressman Paul Ryan and fellow republicans love health insurance companiesmore money in the end for them. As a reformed Republican, its not fair. For your bank account? How do I sign up for Medicare when I turn 65? Add to prior comment: Employers, however, have no business even asking these questions and companies should be banned from forcing them to. Lord knows this country needs both. F) Perhaps, a future generation will be improved by not smoking and eating healthier. Smoking yes, weight no. P.S:- I am not a somker or fat(atleast for now) so no bias aganist smokers. It seems unfair to those of us that take care of our health? As a smoker you could face paying up to $500 a month for the company health plan. Thoughts? 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. Weston gives this example: Say, for instance, your health insurance benefits cost the company $1,000 a month. Obviously they have higher medical costs associated with the ills that come with smoking. 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. Insurance companies argue that its only fair to charge tobacco users more. Health care costs more for them (even though both overeating and tobacco are addictoions when they started they knew the dangers). 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. It will make them angry, but it will be more fair. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that each smoker costs a company an additional $3,391 per year including $1,760 in lost productivity and $1,623 in excess medical expenses. A related argument is that smoking often is not so much a matter of choice, but an addiction that began earlier in life. It is an interesting thought about how that would implicate unhealthy people. 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. 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. We should tax people for smoking, not for receiving health insurance. Non-smokers in particular think that smokers should pay higher health insurance premiums: 65 percent of non-smokers expressed this opinion, compared with 38 percent of people who smoke only occasionally and 18 percent of those who smoke daily. Where are the numbers to support that lifestyle behaviors are significant costs. No. To appreciate the solution, let me expand on the flaws in health insurance surcharges. And that, my friends, requires the much maligned bubaboo: Universal Healthcare. Australia: We saved our average customer $320* on their average annual premium! Jack, maybe you should ask Herman Cain's campaign Chief of Staff Mark Block if smoker's should pay more- he could do a cheap ad against it. Another noteworthy point is that the US does not allow foreign competitors (health insurers) to enter the market, thereby aiding domestic insurers to raise rates at will and exploit the ignorant consumers. I am a physician and behavioral scientist at Duke University. But I don't think that's where the tax is going. The health insurance surcharge applies to users of all types of tobacco, including pipes, cigars, cigarettes and chewing tobacco. If you're quitting smoking, consider annual renewable term life If you smoke tobacco or cannabis, vape, or chew tobacco, you will pay more for life insurance. Find out more about life insurance for smokers here. 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. Is that what we want for healthcare? It always seems people don't do something until it hits their pocketbook. It's no secret that quitting cigarettes isn't as easy as not lighting up. If they choose to continue these very destructive practices they have no one to blame but them selves! I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and I could stand to lose a few pounds. Everyone keeps complaining about the health care, but don't take efforts to eat correctly and they know they should! Yes. Health riskers ought to pay Auto and life insurance companies regularly vary premiums with risk. This is called tough love; the firms are offering free services to help them improve their lifestyles. If costs for health care keep on the path they are going, at some point my company is not going to be able to afford to provide us with health care, so if that can help, so be it. Fat, smokers, too skinny, birth defects, pimples. everyone should pay more, right? Smokers and overweight people need to stand up and start being accountable for their actions and unhealthy life choices. If you use too much insulinyou'll gain weight (who ever you are). No. Oh cool! The debate continues, because ultimately smoking is a voluntary act that undoubtedly affects individual health and, in turn, the public and private healthcare system. These folks just wants to get more money from other. Dont blame it on the sunshine, dont blame it on the moonlight, dont blame it on the good times, blame it on the Economy. I don't think so. Thus, in the name of anti-discrimination (tobacco lobby) and ensuring access for the poor (the anti-cancer groups). They should only be charged more if 1) their habits actually incur measurably more cost, and 2) those individuals without the same habits get a discount. For example, a 40-year-old nonsmoking female and a 40-year-old smoking female would pay the same premium for the same policy. If they reinstated it and jacked the rates for unhealthy people it might do a world of good all around. Yes Yes yes and More more more! Iam a fat smoker and I say no. What about those who use to be silm and later became FAT? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What famous person essentially cancelled themselves Press J to jump to the feed. Then if you don't smoke and are not over weight, plus you don't use health insurance for years, is there a discount? Somehow, most of us managed to live through it. Clearly, more research is needed on the relationship between financial incentives and smoking cessation. Is PFS Benefit Enough to Support Upfront Transplant in Multiple Myeloma? This is disgracefull question to ask abt fat people, sme hve reason to be tht way. This is provocatively simplistic, betrays the lack of decency befouling this country, and represents why government can't leave corporations to run health care. As the fight against tobacco continues to evolve, so should our policy ideas. Smoking and obesity is a free choice. (post continues after gallery.). When you apply for health insurance, you are required to report whether or not you are a smoker. Now with that said, if such a system is forced down my throat should Smokers Pay more taxes for healthcare? Compare Club Australia Pty Ltd (CCA) is a corporate authorised representative (AFS Representative number 001279036) of Alternative Media Pty Ltd (AFS License number 486326). Let's give people who smoke free tobacco-company-paid health insurance. (As usual, check state and local laws to be sure.) Hate to be a bearer of bad tidings, but you have to put yourself in their shoes. How about people with traffic tickets or accidents? In the whole debate about rising health care costs we have been avoiding the issue of personal responsibility yes people who make an effort to live a healthy life should be rewarded with lower insurace premiums. There are health issue associated with those folks as well. If these groups can't absorb the increased costs, the let the grand champions of individual freedom and responsibility, the Republican and Tea Parties, pay for it since they don't want the government doing it through health care reform, and not being in either group I don't want to pay higher rates to cover those costs. We should not discourage smokers from getting insurance. Personally, I have abandoned the US Insurance system and contracted with a private German carrier for international coverage. What to do next? Smokers should be allowed to make lifestyle choices free from coercion from employers, insurers, or the government. 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