UK May Pay Obese Millions to Lose Weight; in US, We're Simply Charging Them More Instead
While the British are considering paying the obese millions a year to lose weight, more and more U.S. health insurance companies and employers are instead charging the obese more for their health insurance to get them to slim down, notes public interest law professor John Banzhaf whose ruling made it possible.
Washington, DC, January 28, 2008 --(PR.com)-- While the British are considering paying the obese millions a year to lose weight, more and more U.S. health insurance companies and employers are instead charging the obese more for their health insurance to get them to slim down.
The purpose -- to use economic incentives to improve health and save tens of billions in health insurance costs -- may be the same, but the latter is preferable for many reasons, says the public interest law professor whose federal ruling now permits health insurance companies to charge the obese more.
"Taxpayers should not be forced to pay even more money -- on top of the tens of billions to cover the added health insurance costs of the obese covered by government programs, and the added health care costs under private insurance policies" -- says law professor John Banzhaf. "Instead, the obese should be forced to pay more of the huge costs they themselves currently impose on taxpayers."
"Making the obese pay more of their fair share of the huge health costs of obesity is not only fairer; it also provides a very strong, direct, and immediate economic incentive for them to lose weight -- often the first one they ever have."
Also, sending them a bill each month for the additional health insurance premium for obese insured is a very powerful educational program which alerts them and their families to the many dollars they could be saving.
"Those with unsafe driving habits pay more for their automobile insurance, people who do not take reasonable steps to keep their homes safe pay more for home insurance, and those who smoke pay more for life insurance. By the same reasoning, those who overeat and/or do not get enough exercise should be required to pay more for health insurance."
In opposing the so-called fat law suits which Banzhaf has pioneered -- ten of which have already been successful -- many argue "personal responsibility." But most obese people do not really take personal responsibility for their obesity and its immense health care costs, since they do not pay them. Either they are paid in large part by the government under Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans' Benefits, Indian Benefits, or other welfare programs, or they are paid by people who maintain a healthy weight under systems where both are required to pay the same amount for their health insurance.
"If we want to pay the obese to lose weight, we should logically pay smokers to quit smoking, alcohol abusers to cut back, and the slothful to exercise more -- and force healthy taxpayers to pay through the nose!"
Professor John F. Banzhaf III
Professor of Public Interest Law
George Washington University Law School
FAMRI Dr. William Cahan Distinguished Professor
2000 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA
(202) 659-4312 // (703) 527-8418
###
The purpose -- to use economic incentives to improve health and save tens of billions in health insurance costs -- may be the same, but the latter is preferable for many reasons, says the public interest law professor whose federal ruling now permits health insurance companies to charge the obese more.
"Taxpayers should not be forced to pay even more money -- on top of the tens of billions to cover the added health insurance costs of the obese covered by government programs, and the added health care costs under private insurance policies" -- says law professor John Banzhaf. "Instead, the obese should be forced to pay more of the huge costs they themselves currently impose on taxpayers."
"Making the obese pay more of their fair share of the huge health costs of obesity is not only fairer; it also provides a very strong, direct, and immediate economic incentive for them to lose weight -- often the first one they ever have."
Also, sending them a bill each month for the additional health insurance premium for obese insured is a very powerful educational program which alerts them and their families to the many dollars they could be saving.
"Those with unsafe driving habits pay more for their automobile insurance, people who do not take reasonable steps to keep their homes safe pay more for home insurance, and those who smoke pay more for life insurance. By the same reasoning, those who overeat and/or do not get enough exercise should be required to pay more for health insurance."
In opposing the so-called fat law suits which Banzhaf has pioneered -- ten of which have already been successful -- many argue "personal responsibility." But most obese people do not really take personal responsibility for their obesity and its immense health care costs, since they do not pay them. Either they are paid in large part by the government under Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans' Benefits, Indian Benefits, or other welfare programs, or they are paid by people who maintain a healthy weight under systems where both are required to pay the same amount for their health insurance.
"If we want to pay the obese to lose weight, we should logically pay smokers to quit smoking, alcohol abusers to cut back, and the slothful to exercise more -- and force healthy taxpayers to pay through the nose!"
Professor John F. Banzhaf III
Professor of Public Interest Law
George Washington University Law School
FAMRI Dr. William Cahan Distinguished Professor
2000 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA
(202) 659-4312 // (703) 527-8418
###
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