Here's the problem I have with your way of thinking, Manowar.
I don't actually disagree with you that health care costs would go down if we addressed issues of better personal habits among our populace. That's a no-brainer. Even you could get that far. The problem I have is your insistence on linking this issue to health care. I doubt there is a person in the world who hasn't made bad choices that, under the path you propose, wouldn't exclude them from health care coverage or would increase their costs such as to effectively exclude them from coverage. Sliding scale for bad habits? Fuck me, where does THAT stop? What about you? You say you smoked weed in your distant youth? Hey, you still smoked. Higher premiums for you.
Let's carry your way of thinking further: Did you ever smoke tobacco, even though now you quit? Higher premiums for you -- there's still a higher incidence of lung cancer for former smokers. If not lung cancer, emphysema. Did you ever drink, even though you're a tee-totaller these days? Higher premiums for you. Who the fuck knows what you already did to your liver? Did you ever gain weight, even though you lost it again? Higher premiums for you -- there's still a higher incidence of liver problems and/or pancreatic cancer. Oh, and breast cancer if you're a woman. Or maybe you're still fat. If yes, higher premiums for you -- knee surgery is surely in your future, as are treatments for diabetes. But wait -- I know someone whose resting calories in/out are 1,300 per day (she had it tested). That's not much. So... higher premiums for her? Even though she watches every bite she puts in her mouth and works out like a fiend 7 days a week? Oh, and by the way -- who is tasked with policing up these slobs, to make sure they're not eating too much or drinking too much or are still quit smokers? You, I suppose.
In providing health care access to a population, you work with what you have. We have a population that definitely could be more health conscious. But denying them access to health care by raising their premiums is a stupid way to address those issues. Give them ready, affordable access to health care first -- and then the doctors have a chance to help them address the underlying issues of why their health is poor in the first place. Get it?
Punishing people by increasing their premiums will only accomplish one thing: They won't get health insurance, and when they get sick, the burden remains on all of us. Hey -- just like now!
I don't actually disagree with you that health care costs would go down if we addressed issues of better personal habits among our populace. That's a no-brainer. Even you could get that far. The problem I have is your insistence on linking this issue to health care. I doubt there is a person in the world who hasn't made bad choices that, under the path you propose, wouldn't exclude them from health care coverage or would increase their costs such as to effectively exclude them from coverage. Sliding scale for bad habits? Fuck me, where does THAT stop? What about you? You say you smoked weed in your distant youth? Hey, you still smoked. Higher premiums for you.
Let's carry your way of thinking further: Did you ever smoke tobacco, even though now you quit? Higher premiums for you -- there's still a higher incidence of lung cancer for former smokers. If not lung cancer, emphysema. Did you ever drink, even though you're a tee-totaller these days? Higher premiums for you. Who the fuck knows what you already did to your liver? Did you ever gain weight, even though you lost it again? Higher premiums for you -- there's still a higher incidence of liver problems and/or pancreatic cancer. Oh, and breast cancer if you're a woman. Or maybe you're still fat. If yes, higher premiums for you -- knee surgery is surely in your future, as are treatments for diabetes. But wait -- I know someone whose resting calories in/out are 1,300 per day (she had it tested). That's not much. So... higher premiums for her? Even though she watches every bite she puts in her mouth and works out like a fiend 7 days a week? Oh, and by the way -- who is tasked with policing up these slobs, to make sure they're not eating too much or drinking too much or are still quit smokers? You, I suppose.
In providing health care access to a population, you work with what you have. We have a population that definitely could be more health conscious. But denying them access to health care by raising their premiums is a stupid way to address those issues. Give them ready, affordable access to health care first -- and then the doctors have a chance to help them address the underlying issues of why their health is poor in the first place. Get it?
Punishing people by increasing their premiums will only accomplish one thing: They won't get health insurance, and when they get sick, the burden remains on all of us. Hey -- just like now!
