Health Insurance

[sassylady]

Ok - this is just to put out there....I read an article recently that pondered the thought of raising health insurance premiums for individuals with unhealthy traits/habits.

Please provide your opinion on the following questions that this article raised:


1.) Would you vote in favor of higher premiums for smokers?

2.) Would you vote in favor of higher premiums for people who are obese? (based on BMI of 30% or greater)?



Again, I am just putting these questions out there to see what people are thinking. I am not trying to offend anyone...just want people's opinions.

[soon2Bgoddess]

Only if they lowered premiums for healthy people

[sassylady]

Originally Posted by soon2Bgoddess

Only if they lowered premiums for healthy people

Yeah, I think that was part of the article too that people who didn't smoke and had healthy habits would get to pay lower rates.

[soon2Bgoddess]

That would be nice

[LeilaM]

Neither. I've got this idea and I don't know WHY it isn't being done. They need to make a 2 cent tax on ANYTHING containing high fructose corn syrup. two pennies- and what is the result? universal health care, I bet.

[soon2Bgoddess]

lol, great idea

[fitnessman]

Originally Posted by sassylady

Ok - this is just to put out there....I read an article recently that pondered the thought of raising health insurance premiums for individuals with unhealthy traits/habits.

Please provide your opinion on the following questions that this article raised:


1.) Would you vote in favor of higher premiums for smokers?

2.) Would you vote in favor of higher premiums for people who are obese? (based on BMI of 30% or greater)?



Again, I am just putting these questions out there to see what people are thinking. I am not trying to offend anyone...just want people's opinions.

Then the next step will be higher rates for people who have certain genetic markers.

Don't even get me started on health care in the U.S.

[bluescorpion]

Do we penalize people who live in cities with smog? Those who get sun exposure? How about people that use household cleaners that may be linked to cancers? What about the total number of children on a health plan? Where would we draw the line?

I'd rather see incentives for people to engage in healthy behaviors. For example, if you don't smoke, you get a discount. If you exercise regularly, you get a discount. But how on earth would they be able to verify these things?

[=M=]

A lot of those things would be easy to verify during a physical exam. But, how many people get a physical when it's time to choose your health insurance plan? How many people get a yearly physical, period?

There should be discounts on premiums or deductables for people with healthy habits, but I don't see it happening. Health insurance is basically big business, and big business won't do anything that will negatively affect the bottom line.

That's why you won't see a "crappy food" tax on stuff that contains high fructose corn syrup. People wouldn't buy it, therefore it would negatively affect the bottom line.

[fitnessman]

Originally Posted by =M=

A lot of those things would be easy to verify during a physical exam. But, how many people get a physical when it's time to choose your health insurance plan? How many people get a yearly physical, period?

There should be discounts on premiums or deductables for people with healthy habits, but I don't see it happening. Health insurance is basically big business, and big business won't do anything that will negatively affect the bottom line.

That's why you won't see a "crappy food" tax on stuff that contains high fructose corn syrup. People wouldn't buy it, therefore it would negatively affect the bottom line.

M when they are starting to use genetic markers at birth.......Like NOW!

[daYDreAmErX]

Originally Posted by LeilaM

and what is the result? universal health care, I bet.

You don't want that sh*t... believe me.

[LeilaM]

Originally Posted by daYDreAmErX

You don't want that sh*t... believe me.

Actually, I do. I've lived several years before without any insurance, and let me tell you what happens when you get sick- you do nothing about it. No doctor, no hospital, even when you should. Two years ago, I was literally walking around with pneumonia for months before I finally caved in and went to the ER. Not so hot, I tell you- and this is a common thing for the uninsured

I don't think a penny or two cent tax would dissuade people from buying it. Liquor and tobacco taxes dissuade very few people from purchasing both, and a penny is like... a natural inflation increase when it comes to the big picture. Anyway, I still like the idea, adding it to my signature, lol!

[daYDreAmErX]

If you come to Québec, go to a hospital and get your fuc*ing free health system. You will probably die just going there because you knwo what, 2400 patients died of a bacteria this year.

When something is "free", everybody pays for it and you get sh*t when you really need it.

Read about it, find the economic arguments. You'll see, you are happy now and you don't want a free system.

[LeilaM]

Originally Posted by daYDreAmErX

If you come to Québec, go to a hospital and get your fuc*ing free health system. You will probably die just going there because you knwo what, 2400 patients died of a bacteria this year.

When something is "free", everybody pays for it and you get sh*t when you really need it.

Read about it, find the economic arguments. You'll see, you are happy now and you don't want a free system.

90,000 of those in the US last year, evidently

http://www.expertclick.com/NewsRelea...179&NRWid=5765

There was a lawsuit filed in California recently because some hospitals in the LA area have begun dumping homeless emergency patients off at skid row, the lady mentioned in the lawsuit was dumped off wearing her hospital gown and a pair of socks...

antibiotic resistant bacteria- big problem, but not a universal health care problem. It's an overuse and irresponsible use of antiobiotics problem-- but that's a whole nother ball of wax (and I think should begin with outlawing all the antibiotics currently being pumped into our livestock, for one)

Anyway, this isn't what the thread was about (insurance premiums). You could bring the subject up in the misc section, I'm sure it'll go on for pages and pages, lol

[TurbulentFluid]

Originally Posted by daYDreAmErX

If you come to Québec, go to a hospital and get your fuc*ing free health system. You will probably die just going there because you knwo what, 2400 patients died of a bacteria this year.

When something is "free", everybody pays for it and you get sh*t when you really need it.

Read about it, find the economic arguments. You'll see, you are happy now and you don't want a free system.

I disagree. My country has a simmilar system and while it has it's drawbacks (paying every month for something you need once or twice a year), it works great when you get really sick.

It's easy to speak for you, who are 20, and me, who am 25, but when my grandmother broke her leg at 64 and needed to go through 7 surgeries to walk normally again (was 72 when it all finished, now is 74 and walks great), she had:
a) free surgeries
b) free medications
c) free stay in the hospital(s)
d) 3 free therapy treatments in seaside therapy resorts
which we as a family could NEVER afford - even a single surgery, let alone hospital stay, let alone the medications, let alone therapy treatments - we saw the great benefits of universal health insurance at their best.

On the other hand, a friend of mine from the US who has celebral palsy had NO treatment, no physical therapy, nothing whatsoever between ages 14 and 23 (when she graduated and got a job) - just because they couldn't afford it. Anarchy talk does great for a crowd amuser, but believe me, socialism is the way to think when you're old, fragile, sick and penilles! ;-)

[sassylady]

Ok- I am just throwing this out there. But what if America eliminated for-profit insurance companies and instead had insurance providers be not-for-profit. Not quite sure about all the details but if insurance companies were not focused on making a profit, wouldn't that drive down the cost of insruance and medicine, etc???

Also, why are perscription drugs so much cheaper in Canada? I mean what exactly makes them more expensive here???

[TurbulentFluid]

Originally Posted by sassylady

Also, why are perscription drugs so much cheaper in Canada? I mean what exactly makes them more expensive here???

I'm not sure about Canada, but in my country (Croatia) that has a simmilar model, the government itself pays a part (or all) of the price for the medication.

[sassylady]

You live in Croatia?! Wow! I am always amazed how may different countries are represented on this website. Croatia seems like it is doing much better now than in the 1990s expecially after the shift of power to the parliament and a more liberal president and a steadying of the economy.

[daYDreAmErX]

Originally Posted by TurbulentFluid

It's easy to speak for you, who are 20,

You know what ?

Go F* yourself with this argument. I might be 20 but you don't know about my health, about how I spent 9 consecutive months in hospital when I was a kid, how I appreciated the free health care system at that time. You don't know anything about me, so don't think because I'm young I don't know my sh*t.

Canada has one of the worse health care system of the OECD. Go read by yourself, at 25 you probably know how to read.

I study in economics, I'm a libertarian and I believe in free market and individual freedom. I'm not saying that government should let people die in the streets, I'm saying our system doesn't worth sh*t. Sweden has a private system but the government pay for the insurances and there are bonus if you are healthy, non-smoker, etc. That's a good way to make it work because hospitals are in the maket and have to give their best and lower the costs.

BTW, the insurances system is in the hands of provinces, not in the Federal's. In the past 9 years, the system went from 500$/hab/year to 1024$/hab/year and at this damn high price, not everything is free or available. You still have to pay for more than 55% of medicines. You see, the free system is not as free as your think.

BTW' I pay my taxes like everyone, so even if I'm 20, I'm a citizen and my opinion matters.

[LeilaM]

wow. You been deadlifting today?

[daYDreAmErX]

Originally Posted by LeilaM

wow. You been deadlifting today?

????

[TurbulentFluid]

Originally Posted by daYDreAmErX

You know what ?

Go F* yourself with this argument. I might be 20 but you don't know about my health, about how I spent 9 consecutive months in hospital when I was a kid, how I appreciated the free health care system at that time. You don't know anything about me, so don't think because I'm young I don't know my sh*t.

Canada has one of the worse health care system of the OECD. Go read by yourself, at 25 you probably know how to read.

I study in economics, I'm a libertarian and I believe in free market and individual freedom. I'm not saying that government should let people die in the streets, I'm saying our system doesn't worth sh*t. Sweden has a private system but the government pay for the insurances and there are bonus if you are healthy, non-smoker, etc. That's a good way to make it work because hospitals are in the maket and have to give their best and lower the costs.

BTW, the insurances system is in the hands of provinces, not in the Federal's. In the past 9 years, the system went from 500$/hab/year to 1024$/hab/year and at this damn high price, not everything is free or available. You still have to pay for more than 55% of medicines. You see, the free system is not as free as your think.

BTW' I pay my taxes like everyone, so even if I'm 20, I'm a citizen and my opinion matters.

I actually wanted to answer this, but it would make no sense to waste my words as you obviously won't hear any arguments. And anyway, it's pointless to argue, all you gotta do is move to america and have no "free" insurance!

I am only puzzled, why do you say "you don't want a free system" and then say "Sweden has a private system but the government pay for the insurances"...? It's also a "free" system, isn't it, where everyone pays for from the government funds...? Except, of course, here the money goes to the insurance companies who then provide the insurance blah blah blah...

And yes, baby, I do know that in canada you pay extra. But while I'm lousy at reading and worse at math, I thought 55% was less that 100%?