Posted on 01/24/2013 7:48:02 PM PST by kik5150
Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama's health care law, according to experts who are just now teasing out the potential impact of a little-noted provision in the massive legislation.
The Affordable Care Act — "Obamacare" to its detractors — allows health insurers to charge smokers buying individual policies up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1.
For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year. A 60-year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums.
Younger smokers could be charged lower penalties under rules proposed last fall by the Obama administration. But older smokers could face a heavy hit on their household budgets at a time in life when smoking-related illnesses tend to emerge.
Workers covered on the job would be able to avoid tobacco penalties by joining smoking cessation programs, because employer plans operate under different rules. But experts say that option is not guaranteed to smokers trying to purchase coverage individually.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
B-B-B-But.....it was a pre-existing habit. They gotta cover it right?
There are also higher premiums for ‘older’ people (presumably younger than Medicare age) but the exact age is not specified.
However, there are not higher premiums for drug users, alcholics, people who engage in risky sex practices, extreme sports enthusiats, etc.
It won’t be long before you will be charged higher premiums for being overweight even slightly and other things, but the list will be very selective you can be sure. Some lifestyle choices will be exempt from higher premiums
Can’t say I’m surprised. The whole point of this excercise is control, not health care.
Good point.
“Demonize the smokers, let the smokers die they yell, all the while forgetting that they now depend on the tax money from these same smokers to fund their feel good projects. Freaking hypocrites!”
Yes, while I am thankful I never took up smoking, it looks like smokers are the new “minority,” Let’s see, raise the price of cigarettes to the point where smuggling is a very profitable “business,”and the smoker is going bankrupt with his addiction. And as with those “successful” state lotteries, “use the money for children.” Then create a special “class” in FUBOcare to “provide the added money to “care” for the smoker. But, if he dies too soon, what will “the children” do without the blood money? So the RATs will continue to divide us as a people, extracting money from those of us “they don’t like.”
Bummer. Sucks to be a smoker.
I had no idea tobacco would grow in Texas (except for that wild rabbit tobacco, mullein).
/johnny
No problemo. I’m not buying any health insurance or paying any penaltax.
Spoken like the statist boot-licker you are. LOL
LOL......me too!
I stand with you! These freaks are insane, 5K as a smoker, really??
This nightmare has to end, doesn’t it?!
Oh, it will end. The only question is how.
“When I die, I die. God knows what to do with me.”
My will says dispose of carcus as cheap as possible, dumpster to landfill preferable!
You make some good points. But liberals won’t be able to follow the logic of cigarette taxes being so high in part because of health costs, or any other logic. The liberals have demonized smokers, and we’re not supposed to question it.
I wonder if the liberals will ever demonize homosexuals for all of the health costs imposed on society by their behaviors.
So the annual wellness exam freebie that includes nicotine screening will probably be mandatory this year.
Who’s next? Beer drinkers?
And don't forget about Muslims....they just have to be Muslim. Well, I guess that falls under "connected".
Yeah. Do heroin addicts have to pay a big premium? Nicotine is just as addictive. And how come this is just coming to light 3 months after the election?
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