Tribune Company Will Charge Smokers $100 a Month

The government nanny state doesn't have to tell us to smoke or not smoke, or whatever, because insurance companies, employers and (easy to tell from this board) fellow employees are more than happy to play nanny. As far as "choice" in health insurance in the private market, forget it, because in EVERY state and metro location, two insurers have control of the market well past the scale the DOJ (allegedly) uses to declare a market uncompetitive. And those of us with decent pay for the uninsured and underinsured anyway, because the costs have to be made up somewhere by somebody.

I'm not aruging for single-payer necessarily. Even though the private market is practically heading in that direction, and corporations would LOVE single-payer because it would absolve them of offering health benefits and make them more competitive with companies who don't have to pay them, I doubt there would ever be the political will for a true single-payer system. Maybe the model is someplace like Massachusetts, where you have to buy health insurance, but you can buy it through your employer or an individual basis, and there is a sliding scale based on income. Although, someday people might ask, if Medicare is so great for seniors, and SCHIP so wonderful for children, what's wrong with insuring everybody in between? Or, is America's entrepreneurial spirit going to be killed because people don't want to leave corporate jobs in fear of going without, or paying outrageous amounts for, health insurance?

 

don't think i've seen a thread on here with so many holier-than-thou hypocrite opinions being thrown around.

 

Smoker?

 

I am so fucking sick and tired of people talking about second-hand smoke. Every day someone unfortunately is diagnosed with cancer and they've NEVER SMOKED or been around people who smoked. All the bullshit that is in the atmosphere, that's your second-hand smoke.
Smokers have been taking it up the ass without KY long enough. It's time for industries to admit what they're doing.
Farmers in North Carolina and Virginia are having to change their crops because of falling tobacco prices. I'll be the insurance companies sure as hell aren't giving them a break.
No wonder the Tribune sucks.

 

Talk about a "SHOTGUN POST."
Blast away, you'll hit something.

Smokers. Secondhand smokers. Smokers parading as non-smokers. Those who breathe. Farmers. North Carolinians. Virginians. Insurers. Tribune. That was awesome.

 

Well, I'm tired of paying for all those people who have kids.

 

Apparently, I've always been mistaken in assuming that you worked in San Francisco. Imagine that.

 

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003657478

The Unions weigh in

 

But he was right about Virginians. Smug bastards!

 

Question: Is the $75 (or 60) spousal fee on top of what the premium would be for the worker and spouse or family or is the plan worker plus 75 (or 60) covers the spouse too?

 

Considering the source, I'm still laughing.

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Is smoking permitted in your buildings or on your facilities? What about smokeless tobacco?

With health care costs increasing every year, smokers are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to companies looking for ways to improve employee health and reduce costs.

 

If you choose the family plan and your spouse has a job where he/she could be on the insurance plan but isn't you add $75 a month on top.

Depending on the plan and options, it may be cheaper for one of you to get the solo plan at work and let the other cover the rest of the family.

I've done it both ways. Changes every year.