NHS ‘bans’ GPs from carrying out minor operations on patients who smoke unless they promise to quit

Mail on Sunday (UK) ^ | 05:18 EST, 29 September 2013 | Stephen Adams

[An.American.Expatriate]

............"Under proposed rules, HHS would allow insurers to charge a smoker seeking health coverage in the individual market as much as 50% more in premiums than a non-smoker."..................

This can at least be justified in that a smoker is a higher risk, but denying treatment is a bit extreme!

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Mr. Merret wasn’t “gobsmacked”, he was backstabbed and butt-fu*ked by his own government. It looks like Hitler’s plans for a “master race” somehow got adopted into the British healthcare system.

Oh gee. That sounds just like what Obama and his First Moose have in mind for America.

Who would have thunk...?

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

To #31. I know. Your wife told me about it while she was over at my place, smoking, drinking, and talking.

[Smokin' Joe]

Hitler’s plans for a “master race” somehow got adopted into the British healthcare system

IIRC, Hitler was a virulent anti-smoker...

[Smokin' Joe]

Can’t wait until they use BMI!!!

They'll redo the numbers for that guaranteed Treblinka look. (Your food rations will be cut, citizen!)

[The_Media_never_lie]

Why should I, the taxpayer, subsidize medical care for a smoker? They should not get medical care unless they quit smoking.

[Smokin' Joe]

Which flavor of death or addiction are you referring to?

I work in the oil industry....and America is "addicted" to fossil fuels.

Tens of thousands die each year because we provide the fuel they use to drive themselves to their death.

Others from the exhaust fumes...

Geeeez, I must really be eeeevil.

But you're a proud Nazi. Have fun with that.

Everyone dies of something. You can be self righteous about how they go if you want, but they make the choices about how they live.

[Artie]

“Can’t wait until they use BMI!!”

My first thoughts. Wait until a certain segment of the american population finds out. Arm yourselves. Oh wait... that has been categorized as a disease

[An.American.Expatriate]

Why should I, the taxpayer, subsidize medical care for a smoker? They should not get medical care unless they quit smoking.

Why should I, the [fill in a generic group], subsidize [file in some benefit which the government has no business providing in the first place] for a [fill in some group which engages in a non-government approved activity]?

Also, you seem to have failed to understand that the smoker / drinker / or whatever other unhealthy, non-approved activity indulger is being denied health care for ailments / injuries TOTALLY unconnected to the said activity, which that person paid for in (higher) premiums due to said activity. IOW - they are then subsidizing YOU!

[Graybeard58]

I wish I had a quarter for every time I’ve been gobsmacked.

I've been nonplussed a coupla times and even chagrined on occasion.

[Graybeard58]

his can at least be justified in that a smoker is a higher risk

Are the also going to treat people who live the queer life style the same.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Are the also going to treat people who live the queer life style the same.

of course not, that is a government approved unhealthly lifestyle and must be subsidized at all costs ...

[Girlene]

See the link in post 35. It seems for some types of surgery there is a link between nicotine and wounds healing properly. It also seems some doctors are carrying this to extremes for all types of surgeries. If I were the patient, I would want the best chances of recovery, so nicotine would have to go. But, neither do I want doctors to become smoking Nazis. Doctors need to work with their patients, not push their own agendas.

[Girlene]

This can at least be justified in that a smoker is a higher risk, but denying treatment is a bit extreme!

Yes, but obesity is higher risk. People with families with diabetes, heart disease, you name it. I think the selection of smokers alone is purely to push a certain social anti-smoking agenda.

[An.American.Expatriate]

No arguments from me - I was simply making a distinction between justifiably charging more due to unhealthly lifestyle vs. refusing any and all treatment ...

[Girlene]

:-)

[CSM]

All the way to the gulags!

[CSM]

“I’m proud to be called a nazi by those who pimp death or addiction.”

As you support the with-holding of health care from smokers! I’d say that makes you a death pimp!

[CSM]

“Why should I, the taxpayer, subsidize medical care for a smoker? They should not get medical care unless they quit smoking.”

Ah, the beauty of socialism. Rather than advocating for the de-linking of government (your taxes) to everyone’s health care, you advocate dictating to others how to live to reduce the cost to you.

This is the result of the commoditizing of everyone’s physical beings and dictators revel in such sheeple as you!

[GeronL]

government healthcare

How long until “rightwingers”, “Pro-lifers”, “Christian homseschoolers” are added to that list.