Surcharge for smokers

So, the place I work at has introduced a surcharge on their health insurance (no doubt in an effort to lower rates from their carrier) for smokers. $100 per month:wow: Test required.
Your thoughts? Personally, I don't think it's fair unless they hit everyone who drinks, etc.
Cheers, Lee S.

 

There's a reason that's in place...and I'm sure the statistics will show how many more health issues arise from smoking than from drinking...

 

Pay to play

In this case, pay to smell....really aweful.

 

Why should the healthy people pay subsidies to unhealthy people? I think smokers should pay more, adn probalby fat people too.


(man, I'm screwed)

 

Do they do the same thing for those who race motorcycles? Ride motorcycles? Overweight?

Boy, their insurance carrier could save lots of money.

 

I don't disagree with smokers being required to pay more for health insurance. There are plenty of examples to show why smokers are more prone to health issues, but $100 a month? That's price-gouging, in a serious way.:down:

 

Why dont they have a surcharge for ANY risky activity? Eat a cheeseburger, throw a $10 in the bucket, have a beer, that will be a $20. This is quite a can of worms your company is opening.

 

Where's the ACLU on this one?

 

You are right.

In fact, they should not have access to standard rates at all.

Surcharge for high risk is standard ops (see car insurance)

 

Probably suing the cigarette corps to get more money for

their cigarette smoking staff of liars, err laywers.


"Stop global warming" puff puff, shout shout.

 

It's not that different than charging higher premiums to people who have points on their drivers license.

 

AMA fought this one to standstill when companies wanted to either deny health insurance coverage, reduce coverage or charge a premium for motorcycle riders.
Butt that's different, right?

 

What about a surcharge for racing motorcycles? Gotta be a higher likelyhood of health costs associated with that activity.
Steve

 

It's a pretty standard practice. I work for the state of GA and they've done it for the last two years. Although our surcharge is only $40 per month. Kind of makes you think about smoking, I mean if you smoke a pack a day and add in the surcharge it's costing you $1400 a year.

They also charge a monthly surcharge if your spouse is offered health insurance at their company and you carry them on your insurance. I have more of an issue with that than the smoking thing. My fiance and I both have BC/BS so why does it matter who's policy were on? BC/BS is going to pay for it regardless, why should I have to pay extra to actually save them from all the paperwork and hassle of having two seperate policies?

FWIW, her company charges a tobacco surcharge as well.

 

Now that DOES suck! I worked for a smaller company a few years ago, and we were persuaded to have our spouses on their own insurance, if the option was available.

 

100/month = 1200/year

1200/year x 20 years = 24000

So if you smoke from age 20 to 40, and at age 40 have a stint in the hospital from smoking related things, you've payed 24K into it.

24K is nothing in a hospital, especially if you stay a couple days or go under the knife

That's like me going and buying ducktape for a trackday.

 

No, it's just the smokers who pay.
The thing is, where does it end. Obesity and who defines it, someones great uncle died of a heart attack so you're a greater risk so here's a surcharge, you don't smoke, but you chew once in a while, nope, pay us more, whattaya mean you own a mountain bike and ride it offroad, nope, can't do that, etc, etc.
Bullshit, really, and, no, it doesn't affect me as i'm on the wifes' ins.
Cheers, Lee S.

 

I think he was stating that if there wasn't a smoker's charge, that technically everyone (non-smokers included) would have to pay higher premiums to cover their med. expenses. Not sure, but I think that's the direction he was going.

 

Damn! 24K!

That 24K wouldn't even begin to cover a highside with a few broken bones, would it?

 

AMA fought this one to standstill when companies wanted to either deny health insurance coverage, reduce coverage or charge a premium for motorcycle riders.
Butt that's different, right?