State Senator Wants To Cut Health Care For Smokers

cbs4denver ^ | 2/05/06 | cbs4denver

[dware]

(AP) DENVER With health costs rising, one state lawmaker thinks it's time to start discussing whether the state can afford to pay to treat smokers who get lung cancer, heart disease and other diseases linked to tobacco.

Sen. Ron Teck, R-Grand Junction, wants to put people who continue to smoke despite the health risks on notice. Under a proposal set to be reviewed Wednesday at the state Capitol, people who started smoking before 1975 would still be eligible for Medicaid payments to treat smoking-related illnesses.

[Cobra64]

Socialized medicine is a huge mistake, that few people understand.

Bingo! When I was a child living in Pennsylvania, I was vaccinated with a polio shot from our family doctor, and my Mom just gave him a sandwich and a bowl of homemade onion soup.

[Cobra64]

Where's the tax on fat people ???

It has already started. The Fat Tax has begun.

Any entity that is not distilled ionized water will be taxed. (I worked with some photographic development companies and all water was distilled with ionized water). Ergo, drink a glass of water, and you will not gain weight, nor anything else. In seven days, you will be screaming for a rare steak, mashed potatoes smothered in beef gravy, and a plate of blueberry-apple pie slathered with vanilla ice cream and starwberries.

(that is my usual kind of dinner)

[SheLion]

.....the MSA, thus smokers are already paying for this. The state already made an agreement with the tobacco companies to pay for this by charging more to smokers.

[SheLion]

Why should WE the taxpayers have to pay for other people's dangerous behavior?

Welcome to Free Republic!

[SheLion]

It's late, I'm tired, and although I've read through the thread to this point --- there are more than a few comments I will be looking forward to responding to in the morning.

Don't forget!!

[freepatriot32]

Employers are making such decisions, and have every right to do so. Why should not government do the same?

First they came for the Communists,(smokers) and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.(smoker)

Then they came for the Jews,(alchohol drinkers) and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew.(alchohol drinker)

Then they came for the Catholics,(cola drinkers) and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant.(straight edge bean turd and tofu eating vegan freak that is as pure as the wind driven snow more perfect then jesus himself in my own opinion does that pretty much describe you buckalfa?)

Then they came for me,.(a straight edge bean turd and tofu eating vegan freak that is as pure as the wind driven snow more perfect then jesus himself in my own opinion) and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I actually work in a state legislature and have to listen to this idiocy that if we only raise the tax on a pack of cigs $1.00, all kinds of wonderful things will happen.

We're going to get people to quit smoking and we're going to raise all kinds of additional revenue with which we can do all kinds of wonderful things.

There's hope. The other day, I asked a page (high school age) how they were going to accomplish both and this wise young man saw right through the whole thing. (I think we can safely say, he's a Republican)

[Mr. Brightside]

You will NEVER have to pay for ME friend!!!!

Mqaybe not you. But I read a statistic that taxpayers foot the bill for over half of all medical bills.

Teachers, federal/state/county/city employees, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.

[Calpernia]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563271/posts
Healthy People 2010

(snip)

These funds now make available monies for grant projects for:

Focus Areas at a Glance (28)

* Access to Quality Health Services
* Arthritis, Osteoporosis and Chronic Back Conditions
* Cancer
* Chronic Kidney Disease
* Diabetes
* Disability and Secondary Conditions
* Educational and Community-Based Programs
* Environmental Health
* Family Planning
* Food Safety
* Health Communication
* Heart Disease and Stroke
* Immunizations and Infectious Diseases
* Nutrition and Overweight
* Injury and Violence Prevention
* Maternal, Infant, and Child Health
* Medical Product Safety
* Mental Health and Mental Disorders
* Occupational Safety and Health
* Oral Health
* Physical Activity and Fitness
* Public Health Infrastructure
* Respiratory Diseases
* Sexually Transmitted Diseases -STD
* Substance Abuse
* Tobacco Use
* Vision and Hearing

(snip)

Target-Setting Methods

One of the three overarching goals for the Healthy People 2000 Prevention Initiative was to reduce health disparities among Americans(and globally).

(snip)

[Calpernia]

Right here

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1572433/posts?page=109#109

[Calpernia]

bump

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1572433/posts?page=109#109

We all get to be monitored in a Database.

[Calpernia]

>>>Where will it stop?

"Target-Setting Methods

One of the three overarching goals for the Healthy People 2000 Prevention Initiative was to reduce health disparities among Americans(and globally)."

[Calpernia]

>>>Which costs the most : Paying for a person with lung cancer to receive treatment for a couple of years and die at 60 or waiting for him to reach 65 paying his Social Security for 20 years and then 8 years of nursing home care?

Well, considering Viaticle scams have a nice payout....it may be the person with lung cancer.


VIATICAL Scam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1550144/posts?page=5#5

[Calpernia]

>>>Ultimately both parties are full of people that either like the status quo of half-ass control or there super crazy and want full control. So the handful of geniune (free-market) people are left with little or no support.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1572207/posts
Global Manipulators Move Beyond Petroleum

[SheLion]

Mqaybe not you. But I read a statistic that taxpayers foot the bill for over half of all medical bills.

Teachers, federal/state/county/city employees, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.

Then how about this:

Obesity fight hits taxpayers
Obesity in the United States, which affects nearly one-third of adults -- costs $75 billion a year in medical expenses, half of it funded by taxpayers through Medicare and Medicaid, a new study says.

Health costs of obesity exceed smoking and drinking
Along with hefty health costs, obesity is also associated with a greater loss of productivity and increased rates of disability.

And I have MORE links to make you cry! So you just can't put the blame on smokers!

[Dawgreg]

CGG, I've said before this smoking thing is a feel good, political grandstand by pompous arse politicians to appease the radical left,( you know the loonies that want us to be "one with nature", like use leaves in place of Charmin kind and want us to be as miserable as they are). BAN them if they're so bad and LOSE all the tax money you levy on us smokers already. They'd really get their drawers in a wad if someone actually made that a possibility.They'd be running around like rats on a sinking ship. I'm so sick of being treated like a bastard at a family reunion. Hub and I are very respectful smokers, but at the same time, if we happen to be in a public place that allows smoking, we're going to smoke! I realize that it's a bad habit and maybe someday I'll quit..............maybe. :)

[Calpernia]

And what about flossing?

I floss in the morning and at night.

Why should I subsidize all those who don't?

My dental coverage should be better!

:P

[confederacy of dunces]

Maybe they should deny benefits to people who don't floss. Gum disease is a precursor to heart disease, dontcha know.


#$@*^&#@ nanny state.

[confederacy of dunces]

Maybe they should deny benefits to people who don't floss. Gum disease is a precursor to heart disease, dontcha know.


#$@*^&#@ nanny state.

[confederacy of dunces]

Worth saying twice, I guess.