Obama Care Smoking penalty

[Fafnir]

All healthcare is singly out one group or another, that's the entire point of pricing. We protect some groups of people from pricing differences, I don't really see a strong argument for protecting smokers.

I see a very strong argument for protecting everyone, but that requires a national risk pool. Which of course means universal care run by the government.

[KGs Knee]

I think I'd probably be better off not discussing this topic.  Yeah, I'm a smoker, and not even remotely embarrassed.

Just wait till the gov't comes for your favorite vice.  You'll be signing a different tune.

/End Rant

[Fafnir]

I think I'd probably be better off not discussing this topic.  Yeah, I'm a smoker, and not even remotely embarrassed.

Just wait till the gov't comes for your favorite vice.  You'll be signing a different tune.

/End Rant

This is actually the government explictly allowing for the market to price for a health risk.

This is the opposite of the government coming for your vice. No different than charging young drivers more for their auto-insurance.

[Chris]

Just wait till the gov't comes for your favorite vice.  You'll be signing a different tune.

The government isn't coming for your vice, society is.  The government just follows the public on things like this.  You should have seen the writing on the wall when your vice was basically banned from every public (and some private) spaces in the country (if not the entire world).

For every vice there is a tipping point, and smoking has reached it. 

[Interceptor]

Just wait till the gov't comes for your favorite vice.  You'll be signing a different tune.

They've been coming after my favorite vice since before I was born. Unsuccessfully, since violent video games don't actually hurt anyone. That's sort of the controlling difference in this particular situation.

[foulweatherfan]

I think I'd probably be better off not discussing this topic.  Yeah, I'm a smoker, and not even remotely embarrassed.

Just wait till the gov't comes for your favorite vice.  You'll be signing a different tune.

/End Rant

This is actually the government explictly allowing for the market to price for a health risk.

This is the opposite of the government coming for your vice. No different than charging young drivers more for their auto-insurance.

Yeah, the key word on the original quote is "allows".  This doesn't mandate anything - providers could charge smokers exactly the same if they wanted, though it's unlikely any would since they're well-aware of the health care costs associated with smoking.  It's also only for individual buyers, not people insured through their employers.

[Fafnir]

I think I'd probably be better off not discussing this topic.  Yeah, I'm a smoker, and not even remotely embarrassed.

Just wait till the gov't comes for your favorite vice.  You'll be signing a different tune.

/End Rant

This is actually the government explictly allowing for the market to price for a health risk.

This is the opposite of the government coming for your vice. No different than charging young drivers more for their auto-insurance.

Yeah, the key word on the original quote is "allows".  This doesn't mandate anything - providers could charge smokers exactly the same if they wanted, though it's unlikely any would since they're well-aware of the health care costs associated with smoking.  It's also only for individual buyers, not people insured through their employers.

Group employers also can do this via "wellness" style plans, my healthcare plan does certainly. (and has for 5+ years)

[Cman]

I have no problem with insurance companies being allowed to charge a higher premium for smokers. Smoking isn't being outlawed. Everyone still has the choice to smoke. If you choose to smoke, you also choose to pay higher costs. Pretty simple.

[angryguy77]

I think I'd probably be better off not discussing this topic.  Yeah, I'm a smoker, and not even remotely embarrassed.

Just wait till the gov't comes for your favorite vice.  You'll be signing a different tune.

/End Rant

I'm looking forward to it when they do. The day will come when enough revenue isn't being generated from all the fees/penalties on smoking and the gov will have to target a new group of people. Hopefully that will wake people up and they'll realize the whole collective thing isn't really what it's cracked up to be.

We should all write our reps and give them a great big thanks for keeping us safe from ourselves. I hope they set their sights on that annoying clown who keeps shoving burgers down my throat.

Then maybe they could mandate a timer on my tv because it's keeping me from exercising. I think a fine for not having a gym membership would be in order as well. 

I'd also like a breathalyzer installed next to my bed so they now I'm not drinking too much.

And maybe they'll revisit some of those old puritan laws and make sure none of us engage in promiscuity. I wouldn't want to burden society with my irresponsible habits.


And before any of you say it's up to the insurance company, it's not, because they have to make up the money they're losing due to this law. Because costs hav,e and will continue to go up, they will be forced to make their losses up.

I believe our pres is a smoker, good thing he's exempted from his own law. I'd hate to see the guy live under the same rules as the rest of us plebeians.

[Interceptor]

The day will come when enough revenue isn't being generated from all the fees/penalties on smoking [...]

When I read this, I was reminded of this XKCD comic (NSFW language), particularly the last panel.

We should all write our reps and give them a great big thanks for keeping us safe from ourselves. I hope they set their sights on that annoying clown who keeps shoving burgers down my throat.

Then maybe they could mandate a timer on my tv because it's keeping me from exercising. I think a fine for not having a gym membership would be in order as well. 

I'd also like a breathalyzer installed next to my bed so they now I'm not drinking too much.

And maybe they'll revisit some of those old puritan laws and make sure none of us engage in promiscuity. I wouldn't want to burden society with my irresponsible habits.

I really don't see how reasonable attempts to control costs by raising the price of insurance for people who have willfully increased their risk of needing said insurance, is going to lead to a nanny state.

[thirstyboots18]

ahhhh...hasn't it been proven (sugggested) that being on the computer more than 4 hours a day is detrimental to your health?  Time to monitor computer use and allow health care insurance companies to raise rates of those going over the alloted amount of time?