Puff Cigar Discussion Forums

Alpedhuez55 · 07-17-2009, 04:44 PM

Nice that Tobacco users are the only ones who will have to pay more for the proposed Government Health Plan. I mean if you are a Heroin junkie, pothead, speed freak or coke fiend...you get the regular low rate. But if you are a smoker...you will get the higher rates.

Also as a Independent Health Insurance agent...I am going to be one of the over 100,000 agents forced to look for new work if this passes. The current bill in the house will ban any new private individual policies. Everyone looking for a new plan will need to sign up for a Government Plan. Health Savings accounts would be outlawed. And it will pretty much put an end to the non group insurance industry.

commonsenseman · 07-17-2009, 05:44 PM

Good rant man.

Nothing good will come of this. We are going down a VERY dangerous road.

slyder · 07-17-2009, 06:57 PM

You forgot to mention that they plan on taxing tobacco more in order to pay for this health care. Also they plan on taxing sugary drinks!!

suretolose · 07-17-2009, 07:12 PM

I am sick of being the easy target. Be sure to join CRA.

slyder · 07-17-2009, 07:16 PM

why dont we tax other stuff like Q-tips? People use the crap outta those. Or toilet paper? How about soap?

commonsenseman · 07-17-2009, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slyder

why dont we tax other stuff like Q-tips? People use the crap outta those. Or toilet paper? How about soap?

We should really start taxing water, it's killed WAY more people than tobacco.

Cletus · 07-17-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alpedhuez55

Nice that Tobacco users are the only ones who will have to pay more for the proposed Government Health Plan. I mean if you are a Heroin junkie, pothead, speed freak or coke fiend...you get the regular low rate. But if you are a smoker...you will get the higher rates.

Also as a Independent Health Insurance agent...I am going to be one of the over 100,000 agents forced to look for new work if this passes. The current bill in the house will ban any new private individual policies. Everyone looking for a new plan will need to sign up for a Government Plan. Health Savings accounts would be outlawed. And it will pretty much put an end to the non group insurance industry.

I searched around but couldn't find any references to the proposed bills charging higher rates for smokers, or that individual private policies would be banned. Do you have any links you can post with this that discuss this information?

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Alpedhuez55 · 07-17-2009, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cletus

I searched around but couldn't find any references to the proposed bills charging higher rates for smokers, or that individual private policies would be banned. Do you have any links you can post with this that discuss this information?

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This is in regards to the Senate Bill:

(CNSNews.com) - Under the terms of the health-care reform bill approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the legal use of tobacco products is the only vice for which insurance companies will be able to charge their customers higher premiums.

The summary of the bill published by the committee specifically states that premiums may be varied to account for tobacco use, but any other use of a person’s record of insurance claims, health status or medical history will be forbidden.

In other words, a person could have been admitted to hospitals three times for heroin overdoses, or been pregnant five times out of wedlock, or been treated for venereal diseases at least once per year for the past five years, but none of these factors could be used to charge that person a higher insurance premium.

If they smoked a pipe it would be a different story—depending, of course, on what was in the pipe. They could be charged a higher premium if it was tobacco—but apparently not if it was marijuana, hashish or crack cocaine.

CNSNews.com - Tobacco Useâ€”Not Promiscuity or Drug Abuseâ€”Will Be Only Vice Legally Punishable by Higher Insurance Premiums Under Senate Health Care Bill

Yes it is a Right Wing news source, but it is not like any of the mainstream media is going to trash the Health Care bill or anything regarding smoker fees.

This is from page 16 of HR 3200:

SEC. 102. PROTECTING THE CHOICE TO KEEP CURRENT COVERAGE.

(a) Grandfathered Health Insurance Coverage Defined- Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, for purposes of establishing acceptable coverage under this division, the term ‘grandfathered health insurance coverage’ means individual health insurance coverage that is offered and in force and effect before the first day of Y1 if the following conditions are met:
(1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT

(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of Y1.

What this is saying is that if you were to leave a group plan and start your own business, or were on a private plan and wanted to switch companies...you cannot. Your only option is to buy into the Federal Plan. This will essentially kill off private insurance for individuals and small groups.

Who knows what the final bill will look like. But both bills have a lot of bad stuff in them.

mc2712 · 07-18-2009, 12:14 AM

If this ridiculous bill passes we are all screwed, and because of our hobby we will once again have to pay the price. This is unnesessary legisation to pander to some for purely political reasons.

Rubix^3 · 07-18-2009, 12:18 AM

All of a sudden, those folks who build compounds out in the middle of nowhere, stockpiling food etc... are starting to not look so crazy.

Jack Straw · 07-18-2009, 12:20 AM

This honestly makes me want to herf/protest outside the house/senate office buildings with signs.

baba · 07-18-2009, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alpedhuez55

Nice that Tobacco users are the only ones who will have to pay more for the proposed Government Health Plan. I mean if you are a Heroin junkie, pothead, speed freak or coke fiend...you get the regular low rate. But if you are a smoker...you will get the higher rates.

Also as a Independent Health Insurance agent...I am going to be one of the over 100,000 agents forced to look for new work if this passes. The current bill in the house will ban any new private individual policies. Everyone looking for a new plan will need to sign up for a Government Plan. Health Savings accounts would be outlawed. And it will pretty much put an end to the non group insurance industry.

Sorry to hear about your probable job loss. It will pass, the Dems are in controll of 3 branches of the government - They are so short sited. Obama says it will cost us nothing, and we will even save money??? Yea right - the CBO states it will cost 7-8 TRILLION dollas. Where is that going to come from. They are ready tax tobacco to the max.

Cletus · 07-18-2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alpedhuez55

Yes it is a Right Wing news source, but it is not like any of the mainstream media is going to trash the Health Care bill or anything regarding smoker fees.

You know I suspected as much when I asked for the source. Unfortunately, like most "infotainment" outlets in America these days, this article contains some news and a lot of conjecture. It is more an editorial than a news piece. And I agree with you when you said, "Who knows what the final bill will look like."

For the record, I think a country providing health care for its citizens is a noble undertaking. I have been unemployed without health insurance and it is not a comfortable place to be. However, I think this health care bill will not see the light of day. There's just too much opposition.

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