[Villages PL]

I haven't heard anyone say this yet but I think this is a huge civil rights issue. The way it's been up 'til now is that healthy lifestyles have been made to subsidize unhealthy lifestyles. We all pay higher health insurance premiums because of those who smoke, drink and/or eat unhealthy high-calorie fast-foods.

Company sponsored health insurance is finally going to work like insurance is supposed to work, like auto insurance. If you get a ticket for speeding, your insurance will go up because you represent a higher risk. Now, if you live an unhealthy lifestyle, you will represent a higher risk and higher expense for the company you work for. Therefore, you will pay a penalty or higher premium. Why should someone else have to pay for your bad habits?

I'm not too clear on every detail but you will need to go to a doctor to get a check up. Your employer will never know the details of your checkup, so you will have medical privacy. And the doctor will give you instructions on what you need to do to turn things around. Then it's up to you. Good luck!

Now, what about medicare? Why shouldn't the same be done with medicare premiums? Why should I have to finance higher medicare costs when I'm healthy and not living a high risk lifestyle?

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

I haven't heard anyone say this yet but I think this is a huge civil rights issue. The way it's been up 'til now is that healthy lifestyles have been made to subsidize unhealthy lifestyles. We all pay higher health insurance premiums because of those who smoke, drink and/or eat unhealthy high-calorie fast-foods.

Health insurance is finally going to work like insurance is supposed to work, like auto insurance. If you get a ticket for speeding, your insurance will go up because you represent a higher risk. Now, if you live an unhealthy lifestyle, you will represent a higher risk for health insurance companies. Therefore, you will pay a penalty or higher premium. Why should someone else have to pay for your bad habits?

I'm not too clear on every detail but you will need to go to a doctor to get a check up. Your employer will never know the details of your checkup, so you will have medical privacy. And the doctor will give you instructions on what you need to do to turn things around. Then it's up to you. Good luck!

Now, what about medicare? Why shouldn't the same be done with medicare premiums? Why should I have to finance higher medicare costs when I'm healthy and not living a high risk lifestyle?

Don't count on smokers etc. paying more in premiums for their own risky behavior. Behavior (of birds of a feather that stick together) is hereby being declared a "pre-existing medical condition":

"The District of Columbia’s Obamacare czars — the board that sets rules for the [new] insurance marketplace, or “exchange,” that the law creates — have decided that henceforth insurers shall be forbidden by law to charge smokers higher rates than non-smokers. Smoking, as it turns out, “is a preexisting medical condition,” according to Dr. Mohammad Akhter, the chairman of the D.C. Health Exchange Board.......

Smoking Is a

[Harry Gilbert]

The question is: Who decides what is healthy? The gov't? Insurance companies? Has anyone looked at the recommended height weight charts lately? Supermodels barely fit into what these charts say is proper. If rates are set by the ones receiving the money I guarantee that no one will fit the mold of being healthy.

[gomoho]

Oh, I don't know - why do I have to pay to support people that don't want to work - 'cause that is what our country has become. Too bad, so sad.

[JourneyOfLife]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

Don't count on smokers etc. paying more in premiums for their own risky behavior. Behavior (of birds of a feather that stick together) is hereby being declared a "pre-existing medical condition":

"The District of Columbia’s Obamacare czars — the board that sets rules for the [new] insurance marketplace, or “exchange,” that the law creates — have decided that henceforth insurers shall be forbidden by law to charge smokers higher rates than non-smokers. Smoking, as it turns out, “is a preexisting medical condition,” according to Dr. Mohammad Akhter, the chairman of the D.C. Health Exchange Board.......

Smoking Is a

It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

If that classification was just a declaration by some state regulator, I doubt that will stand. Especially if it begins to spread. I would expect the industry to challenge it.

The government, health care industry, and insurance companies are all lined up on reducing cost.

Proactive health management is getting a lot of attention as a way to reduce cost... as opposed to relying too much on disease management and chronic therapies.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

I haven't heard anyone say this yet but I think this is a huge civil rights issue. The way it's been up 'til now is that healthy lifestyles have been made to subsidize unhealthy lifestyles. We all pay higher health insurance premiums because of those who smoke, drink and/or eat unhealthy high-calorie fast-foods.

Health insurance is finally going to work like insurance is supposed to work, like auto insurance. If you get a ticket for speeding, your insurance will go up because you represent a higher risk. Now, if you live an unhealthy lifestyle, you will represent a higher risk for health insurance companies. Therefore, you will pay a penalty or higher premium. Why should someone else have to pay for your bad habits?

I'm not too clear on every detail but you will need to go to a doctor to get a check up. Your employer will never know the details of your checkup, so you will have medical privacy. And the doctor will give you instructions on what you need to do to turn things around. Then it's up to you. Good luck!

Now, what about medicare? Why shouldn't the same be done with medicare premiums? Why should I have to finance higher medicare costs when I'm healthy and not living a high risk lifestyle?

I dunno, VillagesPl. I am not Jewish, but even this Catholic girl has a little respect for the old superstition about "the evil eye".

None of us, no matter who we are and what we do can become seriously ill and that changes everything. Best never to take our good health for granted.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by JourneyOfLife

It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

If that classification was just a declaration by some state regulator, I doubt that will stand. Especially if it begins to spread. I would expect the industry to challenge it.

The government, health care industry, and insurance companies are all lined up on reducing cost.

Proactive health management is getting a lot of attention as a way to reduce cost... as opposed to relying too much on disease management and chronic therapies.

Firstly, this board chairman is not "just a state regulator". District of Columbia is not a state.

Secondly, this board chairman and the board are referred to as "czars", which means they are not elected by constituents. They are appointed (hence the term "czars").

Thirdly, we'd better darn well hope that private health insurers are not driven out of business by making them spend more in claims than they can take in in premiums (as they are being forced to assume all the risks/costs of everybody having pre-existing conditions which means they are costlier insureds), because somebody needs to "challenge" the policies made by all these UNELECTED boards and board members!!

District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange Authority Executive Board Members Biographies

[Carla B]

Obviously, company-sponsored health insurance is changing for employees. My daugther's large employer offers a monetary incentive. They will deposit money in the employees' HSA if the employee can meet all of the following markers: nonsmoker, blood pressure in normal range, cholesterol under 200, and BMI under a certain number (I forget the number).

She missed the BMI number. Her weight vs. height was off by a pound. She was classified as overweight, even though she wears a size 4 pants! Therefore, the BMI must not take bone structure into consideration.

[graciegirl]

I truly believe that it is going to become so awful that we are not going to believe it.

In First grade, we were told the story of the little squirrel, putting away food for winter etc. etc.

Some of us got it back then and some are ALWAYS waiting for the other guys to share. It ain't fair.

ANd those of us who "got it" ...about saving, and not buying impulsively and living within our income,are the ones who generally quietly try to help those who are truly in need. At least that is how it looks to me.

[gpirate]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I truly believe that it is going to become so awful that we are not going to believe it.

In First grade, we were told the story of the little squirrel, putting away food for winter etc. etc.

Some of us got it back then and some are ALWAYS waiting for the other guys to share. It ain't fair.

ANd those of us who "got it" ...about saving, and not buying impulsively and living within our income,are the ones who generally quietly try to help those who are truly in need. At least that is how it looks to me.

100% agree with graciegirl. Well said.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by Carla B

Obviously, company-sponsored health insurance is changing for employees. My daugther's large employer offers a monetary incentive. They will deposit money in the employees' HSA if the employee can meet all of the following markers: nonsmoker, blood pressure in normal range, cholesterol under 200, and BMI under a certain number (I forget the number).

She missed the BMI number. Her weight vs. height was off by a pound. She was classified as overweight, even though she wears a size 4 pants! Therefore, the BMI must not take bone structure into consideration.

So in other words, anorexic celebrity super-models will be rewarded with lower premium portion amounts charged to them, because of their "healthy lifestyle".

[Mack184]

What I do believe is that this issue is tailor made for our now ultra-litigious society. These days everybody has "rights" to every issue, and there is no such thing as common sense or right & wrong. Therefore I am sure that there are already batteries of lawyers lining up to sue for whatever does or does not happen over this new issue of what an employer-provided insurance benefit can or cannot be.

Having managed a few businesses myself I can say that the cost to employers for health care benefits are immense, and are growing like weeds. And I cannot blame employers for seeking to reduce their costs by using tools provided to them by their insurance companies.

Once the Affordable Care Act hits the fan on 1/1/2014 with all of it's rules and regulations, I don't think it will take long before the lawyers start racking up the billable hours by the hundreds to sue for every conceived slight or perceived discrimination.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by Carla B

Obviously, company-sponsored health insurance is changing for employees. My daugther's large employer offers a monetary incentive. They will deposit money in the employees' HSA if the employee can meet all of the following markers: nonsmoker, blood pressure in normal range, cholesterol under 200, and BMI under a certain number (I forget the number).

She missed the BMI number. Her weight vs. height was off by a pound. She was classified as overweight, even though she wears a size 4 pants! Therefore, the BMI must not take bone structure into consideration.

Carla you are spot on. My wife's employer did th same thing changing behavior via incentives. If this is a civil rights issue and some government/insurance employee is going to try and dictate to me what i do then I am going to the local ACLU...and the ACLU is not my favorite organization The medical experts keep geting it wrong . Recent reports just explained that BMI is an inaccurate measurement because essentially it comaprs wight to height but doesn't account for the fact that the weight can be mostly muscle or mostly fat. GEEEZZZZZZ. Nanny government get out of my face once and for all. I'm all grow'd up and can really think for myself

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Now, what about medicare? Why shouldn't the same be done with medicare premiums? Why should I have to finance higher medicare costs when I'm healthy and not living a high risk lifestyle?

Just getting older could be considered an unhealthy lifestyle to a younger person saying why are they are paying for older people's care, now what is the solution? Each day we age we are at a greater risk of having a health issue regardless of lifestyle.

[Mack184]

These topics always remind me of my father. I have posted about him before, so I won't go into another detailed post. Dad died young at 60. At 60 he was in better physical shape than I have ever been in my whole life. He could still fit (although not perfectly) into his WW-2 pilots uniform. His family had a history of long, healthy lives. He did not smoke or drink. He did 100 sit-ups & 100 push-ups each and every morning. He watched everything he ate. He was the kind of man who your doctor would hold up as an example of a "healthy lifestyle". He died at 60 of a massive heart attack while taking a walk.

Dr. Lynn Smaha whom I knew personally, was the president of the American Heart Association from 1999-2000. An excellent cardiologist who practiced what he preached died at 63 from guess what? A heart attack. By all current measures, Dr. Smaha would have been labled as living a "healthy lifestyle" by those who would grade YOUR health in today's brave new world.

So who is to decide?