ISU aims to charge smokers premium on health insurance

WANTED: Passionate Sycamore Fanatics. That You?

Register NOW to join our community of die-hard Sycamore fans.

Register Log in
Jason Svoboda

Jason Svoboda

The Bird Level
Administrator
While I'm a non-smoker and appreciate the campus being smoke free now compared to when I was a student, this sort of thing is a slippery slope IMO. Next up is alcohol, being overweight, not liking the color green, wearing black shoes... where/when does they stop squeezing the turnip? I know my workplace is already delving into the weight issue as they're rolling out a pilot where you can get a treadmill at your desk. What do you think the quality of work is like for someone participating?

http://tribstar.com/news/x730869167/ISU-aims-to-make-employees-healthier-curb-insurance-costs
 

Become a Supporting Member to remove this ad and help support the site.
My wife's place of employment has issued pedometers to those who wish to participate. if she does X steps per month we get a break on health insurance premiums or something like that...

Treadmill desks seem a little much.
Why not give employees 30 minutes where they can get up or out and stretch? (because they can't work I suppose is the answer?)
 
Several, if not all state agencies already have a similar smoking policy in place and have had for a few years. Random tests can be administered and violators ("fibbers") can be terminated from employment; hence no insurance at all.
 
When one participates in a voluntary action that is detrimental to the health care of that person or a group of people I have no trouble with those people paying a surcharge on insurance.
 
Every organization should be moving in this direction... They are not the first University or organization to make this step. Large employers like Indiana State are doing anything and everything they can to keep healthcare costs down. For years and years these big employers wanted to attack healthcare organizations for high insurance costs - at the end of the day healthcare organizations have been pinched by reimbursement rates about as much as they can at this point. So now organizations have to get created and either your charging higher premiums to smokers or your offering discounts to non-smokers it's all really the same. You gotta do something to attempt to change behaviors and the data is pretty clear if your a smoker your at an increased risk for major medical costs.

This is a great move and I think we will see more and more organizations move in this direction. Drinking is not been linked to as many health complications as smoking has. No doubt excessive drinking can lead to major medical events - but let's be clear, heart disease and cancer are the number one killers in the United States today. If your organization is not on the cutting edge of doing things to hopefully encourage people to live healthier lifestyles then you just might not make it as an organization.
 
Again, I just think it opens Pandora's box for them to start charging for everything deemed unhealthy because it's pretty easy to make that qualification for a large majority of society. Maybe I'm wrong but in following the Obamacare mandate through the news, I think this will be commonplace in the future.
 

Become a Supporting Member to remove this ad and help support the site.
Jason Svoboda said:
Again, I just think it opens Pandora's box for them to start charging for everything deemed unhealthy because it's pretty easy to make that qualification for a large majority of society. Maybe I'm wrong but in following the Obamacare mandate through the news, I think this will be commonplace in the future.
Click to expand...

It all relates to preventative medicine and it's one of the few positives that we will ever see from this healthcare reform mandate. I work with this legislation daily in my place of work. Indiana is soooo far behind the times with the whole smoking issue.

And your argument is certainly valid, not matter how valid it is - do you think it's good management to say, "well if they want to smoke, drink and be jolly then let emm"? We've done that for too long in this country, it hasn't worked the US ranks outside the top 50 in the world for life expectancy?!? How can that be?? We have the greatest healthcare in the world Jason?!?!

You've got to take action and honestly if that means soda pop gets banned one day then so be it - I love my soda pop but the shit aing healthy. It's time we open Pandora's box, something has to change. We won't like it, but the current way doesn't work.
 
SycamoreStateofMind said:
Every organization should be moving in this direction... They are not the first University or organization to make this step. Large employers like Indiana State are doing anything and everything they can to keep healthcare costs down. For years and years these big employers wanted to attack healthcare organizations for high insurance costs - at the end of the day healthcare organizations have been pinched by reimbursement rates about as much as they can at this point. So now organizations have to get created and either your charging higher premiums to smokers or your offering discounts to non-smokers it's all really the same. You gotta do something to attempt to change behaviors and the data is pretty clear if your a smoker your at an increased risk for major medical costs.

This is a great move and I think we will see more and more organizations move in this direction. Drinking is not been linked to as many health complications as smoking has. No doubt excessive drinking can lead to major medical events - but let's be clear, heart disease and cancer are the number one killers in the United States today. If your organization is not on the cutting edge of doing things to hopefully encourage people to live healthier lifestyles then you just might not make it as an organization.
Click to expand...

Look if the government wants to meddle in your business this much then lets do the right thing and make smoking illegal . There you have no problems with it because then you cant just go to the gas station and buy a pack. Why will this never happen ? Sin Taxes . Smokers and drinkers pay so much taxes on their vices that it more than pays for itself. Hell lets do this if you want to raise rates on smokers then raise the taxes on the non smokers so they pay their share of taxes...
 
Daveinth said:
Look if the government wants to meddle in your business this much then lets do the right thing and make smoking illegal . There you have no problems with it because then you cant just go to the gas station and buy a pack. Why will this never happen ? Sin Taxes . Smokers and drinkers pay so much taxes on their vices that it more than pays for itself. Hell lets do this if you want to raise rates on smokers then raise the taxes on the non smokers so they pay their share of taxes...
Click to expand...

I followed your logic until you suggested taxing non smokers to pay for "share of the taxes" - speaking of things that don't make any sense at all.
 
BTW Dave in case you were dead set in your opinion before you read my post - those taxes that are imposed upon "users" don't help employers insurance costs out at all and that's what this has to do with.

I didn't come close to saying it's to goverments role to regulate "anything they want". I don't want that myslef, but perhaps you missunderstood the spirit in which decisions like Indiana State has made come from.

They didn't tell employees they couldn't smoke - simply, smoke and we will hit you in the pocket book. Employees have been hitting employers in the pocket book for year, about time they answered back.
 

Become a Supporting Member to remove this ad and help support the site.
SycamoreStateofMind said:
BTW Dave in case you were dead set in your opinion before you read my post - those taxes that are imposed upon "users" don't help employers insurance costs out at all and that's what this has to do with.

I didn't come close to saying it's to goverments role to regulate "anything they want". I don't want that myslef, but perhaps you missunderstood the spirit in which decisions like Indiana State has made come from.

They didn't tell employees they couldn't smoke - simply, smoke and we will hit you in the pocket book. Employees have been hitting employers in the pocket book for year, about time they answered back.
Click to expand...

Actually it does because the lost revenue in taxes has to come from somewhere. Look the government needs smokers they need drinkers the billions of dollars in taxes paid would have to come from somewhere. Where would you suggest they get that ? My point was in case you missed it was that just make the shit illegal . Be done with it, it is not that hard to do I mean hell they make a law for every single thing . So this is in essence yet another Tax paid by a smoker. I am a reformed smoker so I will never bitch . I have quit many times it is not as easy as many would like for you to believe . If a person is going to smoke it is pretty easy to see they will smoke . If companies really had the health of their employees in their best interest they would use the money they spend on Corperate greed and bonuses on lobbying to make that shit illegal .
Then try this if you r family history shows heart problems or diabetes then because your genes are screwed up then you should pay a higher ratein insurance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top