Older Smokers Fined By ACA

If the Gubment is going after smokers now what comes next? Fast food, booze, mandatory compliance with the Federal body mass index?

FredHayek wrote: You didn't answer the question.

Neither did you:

So, you would support higher insurance costs for militia wackos that run through the bushes with loaded weapons playing big-bad-soldier?

Or, KKK wackos playing with gas-cans full of gasoline?

FredHayek wrote: Good point about heterosexual or bisexual men with multiple partners too.

And sex isn't as addicting as nicotine.

Then you aren't doing it right.

otisptoadwater wrote: If the Gubment is going after smokers now what comes next? Fast food, booze, mandatory compliance with the Federal body mass index?

Gee, you guys have been trying to run that "slippery slope" comparison to smoking for about 50 years... How's it working out for ya?

Exactly. Smokers are down to 10% of the population so it is easy to start with them. Plus smokers I notice are petty cowed by the general public these days.

You will get more pushback going against the drinkers.

Start charging more for people who have guns in the home?

I wouldn't support higher taxes for militia members or KKK members since they are too small of a subset.

Sidebar: Saw an interesting photo, Planned Parenthood has killed more African-Americans than the KKK.

Sidebar: Gee, I saw an interesting photo that says that's a lie... Who knew?

FredHayek wrote: I wouldn't support higher taxes for militia members or KKK members since they are too small of a subset.

Gee, I wouldn't support higher taxes for any of that either... It's a good thing we aren't talking about "higher taxes", but rather higher insurance premiums for "risky behavior."

Considering that smoking directly increases the three leading causes of mortality in the U.S., increasing the costs of those who indulge in the behavior makes sense. The treatments for these diseases are ruinously expensive. It's a good first step in making people responsible for their own bad choices.

Your insurance is higher if you drive a flashy sports car.

Like smoking, the insurance companies find that driving a flashy sports car is a higher risk than not.

First of all, most insured people under 65 have group insurance and I'm not aware of many group insurance programs that vary premiums for smokers, weight, women, or anything else. At least mine haven't (edited to add I do recall one where if you took some health class you'd get a one time break). Under the ACA I don't think things change for group insurance.

The ACA allows individual premiums to vary for several reasons, and smoking is one of them (smoking is a choice). Premiums can also vary by about 4X due to age, which isn't a choice. And they can vary due to location. I don't think much has changed compared to before the ACA, other than currently premiums can vary by much more than 4X due to age, and they can currently increase due to pre-existing conditions (or insurance can be denied).

Since the rules for varying premiums are in the ACA, I'd think you'd have to change the law to add more rules, but that's just a guess.

It doesn't much matter in this context. It's just another excuse by the usual-crowd to b*tch about the ACA... As usual, FACTS aren't particularly relevant to the discussion.

Nothing to see here folks, move along...