[quote=sd_matt][quote=briansd1]Treehugger, I understand your frustration.
I think our society coddles the majority. When the majority of people are fat-asses we all pay for their irresponsible behavior. Same thing goes in the real estate businesses.
I believe social attitude must change. As a society, we look down upon those are not educationally or financially responsible. There should be similar stigma against unhealthy behavior.[/quote]
I often disagree with you. Not today. I too do not want to pay for the consequences of other people’s irresponsible behavior.[/quote]
brian, I agree as well, and will take it one step further in that I consider good management of one’s own health (within the parameters of non-inheritable disease) a matter of personal responsibility. By the time one is moving thru their sixth decade, nearly all the previous decisions they and/or their peers made in the past (wrt their future health) have come home to roost. A person who is in good health (for the most part due to their prudent decisions they made through the years wrt to their everyday existence) should NOT be penalized for the transgressions of others in their “age group.” However, the way individual-plan pricing is set up is “usage by age group.”
Individual premium-pricing is actually based upon two factors:
1. state of health at time of application … as evidenced by medical record, physical examination and answers on application, and…
2. avg $ amt of health care usage by other policyholders in the same age group;
I think “2.” should be done away with. It isn’t fair to the fit and well to lump them in with the current and/or former drug user, tobacco user, junk food junkie and/or “non exerciser” for healthcare pricing purposes.
