Higher premiums for obese people?

SamanthaJ55
SamanthaJ55 Posts: 1
edited January 6 in Motivation and Support
Should insurance companies charge higher premiums for obese people and for people who smoke? Since they are at such high risk health wise, I think they should put more into the pot since they are more likely to incur health problems associated with obesity and cigarettes.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • keith0373
    keith0373 Posts: 2,154 Member
    Yes to both and Life insurance does charge more for both.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Definitely. I'm not obese, but I am a smoker. Obesity and smoking are both choices. I know smoking is bad for my health, but I do it anyway. Granted, it's highly unlikely I'll live past 40 even if I never smoked, but that's a whole different story. If you choose to eat crap food and not exercise and end up obese, you should also have to pay more.
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
    Not sure about the obesity with my insurance company, but do know they charge smokers more! I'm retired and get my insurance free because of how long i had worked there. Only in the last 2-3 years have they been charging the smokers the add'l amount.
  • Deedles2012
    Deedles2012 Posts: 122 Member
    This is already happening. Has been for several years. It is also part of the new Healthcare reform.

    While I agree smoking is a choice, obesity is not always the fault of the person. Now I know I chose to eat unhealthy and to not work out. But there are people who have metabolic conditions or genetic conditions that are beyond their control. I think these factors need to be taken into consideration. I work for a majot health insurance carrier. For it's employees, the rate is cut so much a year if you meet certain criteria. This gives you more options then just your weight. Just something to consider.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    This is already the norm for me and has been for several years. It is the reason bmi IS important as that is generally the primary determinant for obese vs non-obese health insurance premiums. What I find intriguing is that as a morbidly obese person, I cost the health care system exactly $0. I am now at a BMI where I am considered less risky (less expensive), and I've racked up thousands of dollars in health care costs. Go figure. I generally bite my tongue when people say "you must feel so much better" (since losing so much weight). The truth is I've been to more doctors in the last 3 months than in the last 10 years combined.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    No. The whole idea of risk pooling is that the higher risks are spread out over a large population. There is no way to separate those who are obese because of inherited conditions, physical issues, temporarily overweight, etc. It is also possible to be "fit and fat" and have a lower overall health risk profile than someone who is thin and sedentary.

    And once you start ranking behaviors, where do you stop? There are numerous physical and lifestyle factors that contribute to disease and they interact in innumerable ways. Practically, there is no way to accurately and fairly assign "risk".

    It's one of those ideas that sounds good when you are sitting around with friends and complaining that "somebody outta DO something" about something you don't like, but , in reality it doesn't work at all.
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    Yes. And alcoholics and drug users too.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    My employer is doing a program where they will give us money back from our insurance premium if we get into certain BMI ranges, quit smoking, and achieve certain fitness levels. It's what got me to finally exercise, and watch what I eat, again.

    That being said, I've seen more people obtaining sports related injuries than obesity ones. I'm sure that isn't the actual case, but I don't know if the effort to get people more fit will reduce medical costs a whole lot. Doctors will just be treating more sprains, and pulled muscles, and less diabetes, and heart disease.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    My employer is doing a program where they will give us money back from our insurance premium if we get into certain BMI ranges, quit smoking, and achieve certain fitness levels. It's what got me to finally exercise, and watch what I eat, again.

    That being said, I've seen more people obtaining sports related injuries than obesity ones. I'm sure that isn't the actual case, but I don't know if the effort to get people more fit will reduce medical costs a whole lot. Doctors will just be treating more sprains, and pulled muscles, and less diabetes, and heart disease.

    I am all about wellness programs that give you credit back for all kinds of factors. Years ago at my employer we got credit back for not smoking, an acceptable cholestral level (yes,we had to give blood), weight in the healthy range, and the incentives were a dollar amount for each area. Our accounting group actually made an effort to eat better and take walk breaks, etc. One lady was underweight for her height and didn't get the credit back for healthy weight. I was always just barely in the right range for cholestral. I think programs like that do the right thing. I think positive reinforcement with a focus on several factors is more motivating.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    This is already happening. Has been for several years. It is also part of the new Healthcare reform.

    While I agree smoking is a choice, obesity is not always the fault of the person. Now I know I chose to eat unhealthy and to not work out. But there are people who have metabolic conditions or genetic conditions that are beyond their control. I think these factors need to be taken into consideration. I work for a majot health insurance carrier. For it's employees, the rate is cut so much a year if you meet certain criteria. This gives you more options then just your weight. Just something to consider.

    I have hypothyroidism so my metabolism is much slower and as a result I have to eat much less or I'd get fat. Even with disorders like this, obesity can be prevented. You just have to work a bit more for it. I've never let myself get to the point where I was overweight. I did something about it before it became a problem. Everybody should be held accountable.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Yes. And alcoholics and drug users too.

    Lol how would they know this? I used to drink and get high a little too much but I would never tell my doctor. Before you say drug testing, any addict with half a brain knows how to beat those.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
    Well considering smoking and obesity is a choice, I do think it is fair for them to be charged more. I understand there are medical conditions and medications out there that can cause weight gain, however that doesn't mean it isn't controllable - the weight gain usually isn't significant to the point of obesity anyways. In addition to that, majority of the obese do not have these conditions.
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