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Originally Posted by GatorB
Actually many people actually quit because smoking is too expensive or they cut back a lot. Both of those means those people will have LESS healthcare costs down the road. Of course since it's WE the taxpayer that would eventually pay those healthcare cost of smoking related illnesses I'm for anything that reduces that costs. It pisses me off when the smokers talk about their "rights", but then expect me to pay for their lung cancer treatment or heart bypass or oxygen tank when their "right" causes them health problems. Why shouldn't those smokers pay for their own healthcare costs?
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I usually avoid all remotely political conversations on industry boards, but can someone explain to me how the taxpayers are covering the costs of smoking? Big businesses, which buy overpriced insurance for all their employees, may have some costs if they want to insure poor risks, but they are already getting a tax break for paying in insurance, rather than money, anyway. We could close that loophole any time and get healthcare to rightprice in this country via the market, plus doctors would save money and be able to lower prices for not having to maintain staff to dunn deadbeat insurance companies.
The only reason the taxpayers have to worry about covering those costs is that insurance companies use your premiums to make investments and hope you don't need a payout too soon. A large percentage of America's billionaires made their dough by getting initial real $$$$ to play with from owning an insurance company. Which I would be fine with, except that, when they lose, instead of accepting that is how the market works, the AIG types cry to the government for a handout.
Yes, there are a small number of people on SSI or MediCal and similar programs getting free healthcare. Many of those sorts of programs require at least a pledge not to do drugs and drink and I'd be fine with it if they added cigs. I believe in freedom, but, if you take money from someone, then I think you become subject to what they want you to do with it.