Smokers, Overweight People to Face Fine Under Health Bill By: Dan Weil Article Font Size The Senate Finance Committee approved an amendment to the healthcare bill Wednesday that would allow employers to charge workers with unhealthy lifestyles more for their insurance coverage. The amendment would permits employers to adjust premiums as much as 50 percent according to the level of workers’ health habits, up from 20 percent now. “Weight gain and unhealthy lifestyles that focus on smoking and lack of exercise have skyrocketed our healthcare costs," Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said in a statement cited by Politico news service. Ensign, who sponsored the amendment along with and Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said, "These costs could be lowered by focusing on what makes us healthy — through weight loss programs, smoking cessation and preventive care. Voluntary employee participation in these areas should naturally be reflected in lower healthcare costs.†Opponents, including the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association, counter that the new rule may spur insurers and companies to keep basing coverage decisions on pre-existing conditions, even though the bill itself prohibits that. A consortium of healthcare advocacy groups wrote in a letter: “While we appreciate the amendments’ intent to encourage healthy behaviors, we believe that allowing employers to vary premiums by up to 50 percent of the total cost of employee coverage could lead to discriminatory practices and make health coverage unaffordable for those who need it the most.†Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican who is a doctor himself, says premium differences are important. “Americans want simple, practical, affordable changes now. . . Changes that offer reductions in premiums for making healthy lifestyle choices,†he wrote in the Little Chicago Review.
There are diseases that make you gain weight and diseases that make you lose weight so how is that even fair? My husband's BMI is 39.3 and mine is 18.5. He has no diseases and I have an incurable one, so WTF?
well I quit smoking... and I am fat due to a tumor. however, I weighed myself last night... and had lost 9 pounds since the day it flooded. so yay.. hope it keeps up. I guess since I been stayin at the arabs.. and he has started a lil gym .. only 3 things so far, but buying more soon. I been doing like 20 min on treadmill... and 20 on the eliptical. I bet you hope it does not pass... cause from your pics.. you fat ass as well. A lil round in the belly, I saw on Dr. Oz Wed, men with big bellies have lower testosterone... that it turns it into estrogen. something like that. guess thats why Joe is such a little bitch.. that and the lack of balls
Now don't get so upset its not my policy its Obamas I'm just trying to help out. Yes I am getting a little belly not bad though. And my testosterone level is above average according to my last blood work. At 42 though I think its a lot lower than it was just ten years ago. Facts they are a bitch but rather than deny them its better to embrace the truth instead of depend on a lie or an illusion such as communism dressed up to look different. Good luck with the gym I hope it works out for ya. Honest.
I dont know what works or what doesnt, but I wish there was a way that all my exercise and fitness allowed me to benefit somehow and not being able to pay less on insurance or get more money from work, but I wouldnt want others who arent as fit/smoke etc. to have to pay more. I work my ass off lifting, biking, and running every week(and not smoking or eating fatty foods often) and I know I dont have to, but it would be awesome if I could be rewarded for doing this. I dunno, guess its just wishful thinking. Just my two cents. :/ Sounds like a shitty bill though.
You know the irony here is that I somewhat agree. Look there are many ways to be irresponsible in lifestyle. Take those guys who do "Jackass" should their insurance be higher then for other people? Thing is the best way to deal with it is leave the insurance companies alone. Its ironic that Obama gets to push a health care plan he does not even understand and that congress refuses to post online the actual text of. On stories about mean cold hearted insurance companies not treating people right. Then he turns right around and does what he accused the others of.
The real irony is that I agree as well. I don't really blame insurance companies as much as hospitals. You know I was charged 200 dollars for a couple tylenol I could get across the street at the Exxon for .99? Robbery.
I know. I was in the hospital for 4 days and for every bag of saline I was given, they charged me 40 bucks. Of course, they keep it constantly dripping. $$$$
Yeah it seems like whenever I get out to any big city that if there is any big new construction that is commercial it is a hospital. The only thing growing right now and they do make an amazing astronomical amount of money. I used to be tight with one of the girls that did accounting for a hospital and some of the shit she told me was mind blowing.
