Many Americans Back Higher Costs For People With Unhealthy Lifestyles

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 19, 2006 | WSJ ONLINE/HARRIS INTERACTIVE HEALTH-CARE POLL

[rdax]

A new WSJ.com/Harris health-care poll indicates growing U.S. support for charging higher insurance premiums or out-of-pockets medical costs to people with unhealthy lifestyles.

The online survey of 2,325 U.S. adults found that 53% of Americans think it is fair to ask people with unhealthy lifestyles to pay higher insurance premiums than people with healthy lifestyles, while 32% said it would be unfair. When asked the same question in 2003, 37% said it would be fair, while 45% said it would be unfair. Healthy lifestyles were described as not smoking, exercising frequently and controlling one's weight.

[Xenalyte]

And how does the insurance company make the guy in the wreck tell the truth about his seatbelt-wearing?

A system that relies on voluntary compliance that carries punishment will always fail.

[ChildOfThe60s]

What part of my logic is flawed? Of course it would have an effect if she paid more, but in the big picture the results would be very minor. Until such time as there is a market driven health care delivery system that is not overrun with the cancer of government micro-management, mandates and interference, it just won't amount to any more than urinating in the ocean. It's just more of putting band aids on severed limbs.

[GOPJ]

And I sure don't need some expensive gym or workout equipment to stasy in shape........gardening and chasing an 8 year old do just fine :)

You're right.

Those two "hobbies" will put anyone in great shape. :)

[Lucky Dog]

Insurance is a complicated business...you're aware of the principle of 'moral hazard?'

In law and economics, moral hazard is the name given to the increased risk of problematical (immoral) behavior, and thus a negative outcome ("hazard"), because the person who caused the problem doesn't suffer the full (or any) consequences, or may actually benefit. Such a concern typically arises in the context of a contract (for example, an insurance policy).

Insurance at its core is a simple concept: Someone (an underwriter) agrees to share the risk of a particular activity for either a share of the proceeds or a set fee. If the risk is never fulfilled, the underwriter pockets the gain and continues to offer the service to other clients. If the risk materializes, the underwriter covers the agreed upon loss value (policy amount). Fraud and chicanery on the part of, either, the underwriter (or agents thereof), or the client (or agents thereof) has been, and continues to be, an issue since the beginnings of the concept.

Additionally, there are problems brought on by the public's misunderstanding of the purpose and limitations of insurance as well as the marketing needs of companies selling insurance to appeal to potential customers. Consequently, insurance companies factor a certain amount of loss compensation into the premiums.

Such a practice is a "business risk" issue in contrast to an insurance risk issue related to the risk exposure of a particular activity or client.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Everything everyone does affects the rest of us.

Your logic is, and has been, used to justify every kind of despotic government action throughout modern history.

Your paying a little more for insurance is a small price to pay to the freedom of not having me dictate every minute aspect of your lifestyle. Freedom ain't free.

[383rr]

I made an error, misread a post. Sorry.
Mr.Brightside is not a counsellor.He runs a health club.

Luckily, I need no such services.

Hey, wanna come and lift some transmissions with me?
After that we get move all the junk engine blocks out to the scrap truck(by hand; don't have a towmotor), and haul 'em off.

Soon as all the sweat dries off my a$$, I'm gonna go finish.

I guess my insurance ought to be through the roof, huh?
Welding fumes, chemicals, and such.
I'm sure you'd be all for sticking it to me.

[dashing doofus]

The contrarian view would be that smokers and obese people will die sooner, thus consuming less long term care than those who exercise and live a long time.

To control health care costs, states should not TAX cigarettes, but rather subsidize them....

[bfree]

People should be made to pay more for their poor choices

Thanks, adolph. You must be in your 20's early 30's at most.

[GOPJ]

How about this: "Studies" have shown that people who are negative and can't laugh are not as healthy as people than are positive and can. Surveys have also shown that conservatives are much more positive and happy than liberals.

Ipso facto, liberals should pay more for health insurance because it's not fair for conservatives to subsidize their unhealthy lifestyles.

LOL Irrefutable logic -- I'm impressed

[Walmartian]

I'm on a scissor relay team. We run on Saturdays. This won't have any effect on me, right?

[383rr]

These people are just tools; and they don't even know it.

No better way to end the day than causing some nanny loving "tools" to freak by having a beer and a cigarette.

Oh, and don't forget the Copenhagen.

Well, I better get back to work.

I gotta cost these people some money.

[gogeo]

Moral hazard says that whenever you lower the negative consequences of an event, you make that event more likely to happen. To what degree would behavior be changed if unhealthy lifestyle choices were rated for premium?

Now flip that...and you've made the case that the changes made in the past 60 years regarding medical insurance have changed the decision making process of people for the worse. That's a consequence of removing economic considerations from health care.

[nopardons]

Like those who get it for nothing or almost nothing, out of pocket and go get a CAT scan for a hangnail and go see the doctor every time they blow their nose? Yes, I would gladly have those people's rates increase by a 100 fold!

[Doomonyou]

How about doin' the bone dance with Mr. Sphincter? Is that healthy?

Stop it! Yer killin' me here!

[AmericanInTokyo]

it's "f", not "ph", didn't you know. and, yes, I am 12 :-)

[AmericanInTokyo]

You must be a libertarian. Or, maybe colossally overweight. Over maybe both? :-)

[nopardons]

They do that to people as they age, yet not all middle aged/older people get ill and a lot of younger people engage in very risky lifestyles. So WHY should one have to pay more and more and more, as they grow older?

[Truthsearcher]

This is precisely why socialism leads to loss of freedom.

If we all have to pay each other's healthcare costs, then of course we would want to control each other's behavior to reduce the cost.

The only way for people to be free to live the lifestyles they want is if they take all the responsibilty for the consequences of their lifestyles.

[Mr. Brightside]

I hear you.

My sister in law has the best medical insurance money can buy.

She called 911 for an ambulance to take her daughter to the Emergency Room because the girl got a Barbie shoe stuck up her nose.

[bfree]

Go for it!! Making the little goofs upset is fun.