Stop Smoking or PAY MORE

[pahealthquotes]

The current monthly health insurance premium for a 60-year-old male smoker who lives in Maryland, for example, could be more than $1,000; under ACA, that monthly premium could increase to more than $1,500 per month beginning Jan. 1.

Health insurance costs could rise $500 per month for smokers on Jan. 1 | Insurance & Financial Advisor I IFAwebnews.com

 

[Yagents]

Wow.........hitting the lower income right in the kisser (the smoke entry point)

Under Obamacare, who even counts as a tobacco user?

Now, the issue is back in the regulators’ court. They have to wade through all these suggestions and figure out the best way to define who counts as a tobacco user. The financial implications will be big: For a low-income American faced with the surcharge, their premium could jump from $708 to $3,308. That jump is larger than 50 percent due to the fact that the base premium gets a federal subsidy, while the tobacco surcharge does not.

 

[AllenChicago]

HHS published the Final Rule on Tobacco usage, and a bunch of other stuff of interest to us, and particularly health insurance companies, yesterday.

Ref: https://www.federalregister.gov/art...act-health-insurance-market-rules-rate-review

The person can't be rescinded for lying about smoking, but the premium rate-up can be charged retroactive to the enrollment date, if a lie is caught. But since there are so many open and special open-enrollment periods added, he/she could just cancel and sign up again later I suppose.

Also, correct me if I'm reading the RULE incorrectly, but isn't it saying that only people on GROUP plans can get a break from the Smoking surcharge by being enrolled in a smoking cessation class or treatment regime?
-ac

 

[bluediamond]

Smokers can skirt higher premiums - Brett Norman - POLITICO.com

Wonder how the honor system is going to work.

 

[Millwood]

Will make liars out of tobacco users or everyone will be tested. Probably everyone gets tested eventually.

 

[stuy119]

Testing for everyone, and loop it under the "preventive care" section of the policy to account for any extra monies that might need to be refunded by the MLR. Boom!

 

[Yagents]

Your implanted gov't chip already "knows". Look under your left arm pit

 

[GreenSky]

The tobacco companies should pay the rate-up. After all, they go house to house, find young people and hold them down on the ground and force them to smoke. After a bit of time, the people become addicted to cigarettes.

This issue is clear. The smoker has not made a choice but has been "drugged" into a nasty habit.

Also, I got fat because food tastes so good so it's the fault of grocery stores and restaurants.

Rick

 

[taterpeeler]

The tobacco companies should pay the rate-up. After all, they go house to house, find young people and hold them down on the ground and force them to smoke. After a bit of time, the people become addicted to cigarettes.

This issue is clear. The smoker has not made a choice but has been "drugged" into a nasty habit.

Also, I got fat because food tastes so good so it's the fault of grocery stores and restaurants.

Rick

iguess if someone cheated on his wife he could use the god made her so hot I could not help it defense... no?

 

[pcbinsurance]

"iguess if someone cheated on his wife he could use the god made her so hot I could not help it defense... no?"
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Yeah, I tried that once. It doesn't work.