Here's a dirty little secret you won't hear from insurance actuaries: People who smoke die sooner and thus have lower lifetime health costs than those who don't.
My Mother put out her cigarette as they put her on the gurney to put her in the ambulance. That was Wednesday. On Friday they told her she had stage 4 lung cancer. She asked to go out for a smoke, they gave her a patch. She died on Monday. Almost no medical expenses.
My pop smoked for years...had a business..paid double SSI...and died at 64 from lung cancer.
He was a win, win for SSI....
The last 2-3 years of most people's lives..cost the most.
My dad had private insurance..that didn't pay much, but helped. He footed the bill for everything else. And passed away..at my house.
The Fed's paid nothing.......
I think he paid double self-employed SSI tax for 25-30 years.