That healthy people are forced to pay high premiums in order to cover the cost of unhealthy patient care just rubs me the wrong way! The underlying problem is that we're a litigious society.
I think it's great that the tobacco companies have been held accountable for marketing strategies that promoted smoking as a cool thing to do, particularly among young adults. However, I don't agree with suing the tobacco company for a person's addiction to nicotine. The individual is ultimately responsible for what she puts into her body. But, the lawyers have succeeded in putting blame upon the manufacturers of a product and their wildly successful marketing that compelled a person to addiction. It's a catch-22.
Then, what about frivolous lawsuits like suing a fast food chain for making your kids obese? That's ridiculous, in my opinion. Again, people want to pass the blame to someone else. What are we, a society of people who won't be held accountable for our own actions?
So, no, I don't think it's fair that those of us who subscribe to preventive care and do what we can to follow a healthy lifestyle should pay for those who won't or don't. I think those who fail to be accountable for their own unhealthy lifestyles should be charged the higher cost of taking care of them. Did you know that doctors who care for the obese and smokers are paid less than doctors who care for patients who undergo unnecessary procedures?
And people wonder why health care costs are so high! Lawyers and politics, that's why!
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That healthy people are forced to pay high premiums in order to cover the cost of unhealthy patient care just rubs me the wrong way! The underlying problem is that we're a litigious society.
I think it's great that the tobacco companies have been held accountable for marketing strategies that promoted smoking as a cool thing to do, particularly among young adults. However, I don't agree with suing the tobacco company for a person's addiction to nicotine. The individual is ultimately responsible for what she puts into her body. But, the lawyers have succeeded in putting blame upon the manufacturers of a product and their wildly successful marketing that compelled a person to addiction. It's a catch-22.
Then, what about frivolous lawsuits like suing a fast food chain for making your kids obese? That's ridiculous, in my opinion. Again, people want to pass the blame to someone else. What are we, a society of people who won't be held accountable for our own actions?
So, no, I don't think it's fair that those of us who subscribe to preventive care and do what we can to follow a healthy lifestyle should pay for those who won't or don't. I think those who fail to be accountable for their own unhealthy lifestyles should be charged the higher cost of taking care of them. Did you know that doctors who care for the obese and smokers are paid less than doctors who care for patients who undergo unnecessary procedures?
And people wonder why health care costs are so high! Lawyers and politics, that's why!
February 15, 2008 - 4:29pmThis Comment
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