Obamacare Punishes Smokers: Why not the Promiscuous? (support, voting, status)
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Starting next year allows health insurers to charge smokers buying individual policies up to 50 percent higher premiums. A 60-year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums. They are punishing smokers because it's not all about the smoker, second hand smoke.
Guess you did not know that private insurers have been charging smokers substantially higher premiums than non-smokers, all along.
Living unhealthy lifestyles has become the new Scarlet Letter. That’s what happens with centralized health care. But once we go down that road, it won’t end there. Smokers today, the obese tomorrow.
Notice we never hear experts wanting to “punish” the promiscuous for the cost burden they inflict on the health care system. Yet people who sleep around, like smokers and the obese, cost the rest of us plenty–what with promiscuity leading to sexually transmitted diseases, some cancers, HIV, unwanted pregnancies, mental health issues, etc. Why isn’t what is good for the goose also good for the gander?
It is easy to prove if one uses tobacco or not. No so with promiscuity.
BTW, private health insurers also take into account, the applicant's sex, height and waist measurement to determine the cost of the premium, if they choose to insure the risk.
Historically, all risks were mutualized within group policies. That's been changing, too.
Last edited by middle-aged mom; 08-07-2013 at 03:35 PM..
Promiscuous people can easily protect themselves from disease. Smokers are SOL. This is not new. Insurance charges more for the riskiest policy holders.
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