Dang it, the smokers have paid for their health insurance many times over! Remember the massive tobacco settlement with the states over health claims? The states took that money and used it to balence budgets, build roads and bridges, etc., but interestingly enough, did not put any of it back to pay for the smoker’s “health problems”. Then the feds put on more taxes on tobacco to pay for poor children’s insurance.
Smokers may not live as long as non-smokers, so they will not burden the Medicare system. Smokers also may not be around to help bankrupt the Social Security system. They deserve your thanks.
Remember how we were told that if people stopped smoking, insurance rates would stablize or start going down? They won’t, and obesity is just the latest boogeyman.
We need to phase out Medicaid and Medicare and let the free market do it’s magic.
” They won’t, and obesity is just the latest boogeyman. “
‘boogeyman’ is a good word for it - and it’s amazing how many of us knee-jerk to it...
The fact is that, unless one happens to die suddenly, probably violently, *everybody*, regardless of lifestyle, will eventually get ill requiring expensive procedures and/or hospitalization - maybe several times - before dying.... (Or did I miss all those ‘news’ stories about health-nuts living forever??)
The only way to be sure to bring down health insurance rates would be for everybody to patriotically step in front of a moving bus on their 40th birthday...