Not affordable is the phrase that cinches this decision. It is also making a statement of what insurance is all about, taking the good with the bad. In better economic years it probably worked better than it would now but that was then and this is now. So it appears if one smokes, or is over weight the education process to change behaviors might be embraced a little differently instead of “evil twin” pricing and media. We have all seen that over
the years with even folks who are not active enough being the last group attacked with press releases and some go so far as to blaming such for the entire mess of the economy. I believe in education and adapting better living habits of course but long and short of it is that the time element for all this to take place to allow insurers to reap big profits is not working. Stay on the education path and work it that way. A few months ago I did my rant on the topic as as I was getting tired of the old “throw numbers at them” routine to blame shift to one area when in fact the economic issues are spread across many areas, banks at the top of course. They did the deeds with models that lied.
Media and Press Releases In Healthcare That Go Nowhere–Marketing to Sell You Analytics With Using Fear and Misplaced Guilt Overtones As a Theme
All of this reminds me of the movie “Escape from LA” to where the “evil smokers” were depicted as such and in reality I think was done to actually make us take a look at how some of the perceptions we are developing may not be ethically or otherwise correct. How often are we driving ourselves over the cliff too without using common sense in a lot of areas with healthcare. With all the data connected today, one small decision has huge impacts in different areas not anticipated as some still think data is still in silos. BD
Big Data Revolution-Dangers of Using It To Drive Ourselves Off a Cliff -Debunking Myths of Algorithms Replacing Humans In Decision Making Processes in the Healthcare Business (Video)
The board charged with implementing federal health care reforms in the District has voted to prohibit insurance companies from charging higher premiums to cigarette smokers, adding the city to a handful of states rejecting such surcharges because of the effect they have on poor families who are more likely to smoke.
The D.C. Health Benefit Exchange executive board voted Monday to join Rhode Island, Vermont and Massachusetts in eliminating smoking premiums in their health care exchanges.
“We didn’t really want to segment the population too much,” he said.
“Just because people have become addicted to a terrible drug is not a reason to turn our back on them in providing health care,” he said, noting that low-income people are more likely to smoke.
“This is the population that needs health care the most,” he said. “We are antismoking for sure, but we are not antismoker.”
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