Excited about health care overhaul that will help with insurance? If you're a smoker, maybe you shouldn't be. Millions of smokers could be facing severe tobacco-use price penalties associated with health plans that will be available under Obamacare. The new law will allow health insurance companies to charge smokers who are buying individual insurance policy premiums that are up to 50% higher beginning on January 1, 2014.
The penalties are set to be higher for older smokers, since they presumably have been destroying their bodies by choice for a longer period of time and will now be asking others to pay for those choices. Younger smokers will still be charged higher premiums, but they won't be as severe.
Those covered by insurance provided by their employers will be able to avoid the tobacco penalty by joining programs to help them quit smoking. Such an option is not available to those applying for insurance individually. Of course, all of this begs the question - how does anyone know that an individual covered by an insurance policy smokes? The insurers can only take the insured's word for it, and even a physical by a doctor - which could technically provide near certain proof of smoking - would be argued by the would-be insured.
While the new health care scheme is probably going to be found to be fraught with problems and abuses - as most government programs seem to be - it remains to be seen how bad Obamacare turns out to be and how much abuse will occur thanks to the new smoking penalty. Obviously those who smoke should shoulder a larger burden than those who don't, though many (presumably those who actually smoke) probably won't agree with that.
The penalties are set to be higher for older smokers, since they presumably have been destroying their bodies by choice for a longer period of time and will now be asking others to pay for those choices. Younger smokers will still be charged higher premiums, but they won't be as severe.
Those covered by insurance provided by their employers will be able to avoid the tobacco penalty by joining programs to help them quit smoking. Such an option is not available to those applying for insurance individually. Of course, all of this begs the question - how does anyone know that an individual covered by an insurance policy smokes? The insurers can only take the insured's word for it, and even a physical by a doctor - which could technically provide near certain proof of smoking - would be argued by the would-be insured.
While the new health care scheme is probably going to be found to be fraught with problems and abuses - as most government programs seem to be - it remains to be seen how bad Obamacare turns out to be and how much abuse will occur thanks to the new smoking penalty. Obviously those who smoke should shoulder a larger burden than those who don't, though many (presumably those who actually smoke) probably won't agree with that.