Discrimination against Smokers - higher insurance rates

LadyRodgers

LadyRodgers

Jedi
So this is more of a RANT then anything else so didn't feel it was appropriate to add to the smoking topic...

The company that I work for just announced our new benefit changes and said that smokers will pay $50 more a month for their medical rates... they claim that they are following gov. standards and are encouraging people to stop smoking... that smokers have more medical bills... and cost the insurance companies more $$... BS I say!
So whatever, can't really change their minds about what really causes havoc to our bodies, like GMO foods, radiation, immunization shots, etc...
my dilemma is this, I just started smoking at work on my breaks and I've had a ton of comments about when did I start. I've been upfront and stated that I have smoked for years... and now they announce this... I believe that this is discrimination and am contemplating stop smoking at work and just say that I quit! I know this to be dishonest but I feel like they are discriminating against me and believing the lies that the gov. puts out there...

so that's my beef. any input would be appreciated.
 
Well, do you even want the insurance, and if you do want insurance, have you checked to see if you can get a batter/cheaper policy from a self pay site?

I have a friend whose work sponsored policy cost almost twice what she was able to find on her own, and she got better benefits to boot.
 
LadyRodgers said:
my dilemma is this, I just started smoking at work on my breaks and I've had a ton of comments about when did I start. I've been upfront and stated that I have smoked for years... and now they announce this... I believe that this is discrimination and am contemplating stop smoking at work and just say that I quit! I know this to be dishonest but I feel like they are discriminating against me and believing the lies that the gov. puts out there...
Click to expand...

That's what I would do, stop smoking at work and tell them you quit. Then you can keep the lesser expensive insurance and just smoke when you're away from work. I wouldn't worry about "being dishonest", that's a program instilled in us in order for pathologicals to easily control us. What you'd be doing is creating a strategic enclosure. You could also get your own insurance and keep smoking at work, but you never know down the line what other steps they'll take to further discriminate against smokers.
 
I know I'm stating the obvious, but it still boggles my mind, and probably always will, the thought of how we, humankind we, came to acquiesce (and even support!) to decisions and regulations that don't have a single foot to stand on. Hard as you try you couldn't extract a hint of logic in them.

We have a life insurance for our house mortgage that was also more expensive because of my husband being a smoker. And this is UK, a country with a so called drinking problem and a paradise for junk food.

I also don't see you pretending to have quit smoking as being "dishonest", but I would try to find out whether there's any reprisal, and in what form, should the company come to know that you didn't stop. Perhaps this isn't something that could easily happen, but better to be prepared and know what to expect than to be caught off guard, osit.
 
Smoking's not the only discrimination. Those adverts for "$39 unlimited life insurance" on TV are if you are thin, non-smoker, no discernable illnesses, and 25.

If you don't fall under that, it jumps $100 immediately. My wife is a smoker and I was "diagnosed" as a diabetic, which might as well as labelled me in the highest risk category. My insurance is more than hers.

What's even more ridiculous is that I don't even consider myself diabetic anymore. Paleo diet, lost 50 pounds, NOT overweight anymore, blood tests all come back normal, even my doctor wrote to the government for my freaking driver's license (which I have to pay MORE for now) saying "his diabetes is controlled by diet and he does not require testing". Doesn't help. Keep in mind I had taken control of my life and lost the weight BEFORE the insurance was taken out. Even the tests they did came back normal, but it didn't matter. I was diagnosed once, and since there's no "official" cure, I'm screwed.

Makes me a little angry.
 
Lost Spirit said:
Smoking's not the only discrimination. Those adverts for "$39 unlimited life insurance" on TV are if you are thin, non-smoker, no discernable illnesses, and 25.

If you don't fall under that, it jumps $100 immediately. My wife is a smoker and I was "diagnosed" as a diabetic, which might as well as labelled me in the highest risk category. My insurance is more than hers.

What's even more ridiculous is that I don't even consider myself diabetic anymore. Paleo diet, lost 50 pounds, NOT overweight anymore, blood tests all come back normal, even my doctor wrote to the government for my freaking driver's license (which I have to pay MORE for now) saying "his diabetes is controlled by diet and he does not require testing". Doesn't help. Keep in mind I had taken control of my life and lost the weight BEFORE the insurance was taken out. Even the tests they did came back normal, but it didn't matter. I was diagnosed once, and since there's no "official" cure, I'm screwed.

Makes me a little angry.
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thanks so much for your response! I too was diagnosed as having diabetes and no longer have it! Paleo all the way!
 
Heimdallr said:
LadyRodgers said:
my dilemma is this, I just started smoking at work on my breaks and I've had a ton of comments about when did I start. I've been upfront and stated that I have smoked for years... and now they announce this... I believe that this is discrimination and am contemplating stop smoking at work and just say that I quit! I know this to be dishonest but I feel like they are discriminating against me and believing the lies that the gov. puts out there...
Click to expand...

That's what I would do, stop smoking at work and tell them you quit. Then you can keep the lesser expensive insurance and just smoke when you're away from work. I wouldn't worry about "being dishonest", that's a program instilled in us in order for pathologicals to easily control us. What you'd be doing is creating a strategic enclosure. You could also get your own insurance and keep smoking at work, but you never know down the line what other steps they'll take to further discriminate against smokers.
Click to expand...

thanks for your response! :)
yes there is some talk or rumors about drug tests for smokers but we will see...

what's irritating is the fact that there have been many people with health issues within the company that DON'T smoke! Imagine that!
just a bunch of sheeples around here following our gov. Makes me irritated...
 
Gertrudes said:
I know I'm stating the obvious, but it still boggles my mind, and probably always will, the thought of how we, humankind we, came to acquiesce (and even support!) to decisions and regulations that don't have a single foot to stand on. Hard as you try you couldn't extract a hint of logic in them.

We have a life insurance for our house mortgage that was also more expensive because of my husband being a smoker. And this is UK, a country with a so called drinking problem and a paradise for junk food.

I also don't see you pretending to have quit smoking as being "dishonest", but I would try to find out whether there's any reprisal, and in what form, should the company come to know that you didn't stop. Perhaps this isn't something that could easily happen, but better to be prepared and know what to expect than to be caught off guard, osit.
Click to expand...
thanks for your response! :)

yes there are many answered questions but I'm kind of waiting it out for now to see... I don't want to give them any ideas either! Since they apparently can't think for themselves... ;)
They also send out postings of how to eat healthy and of course it's just a copy of what the gov hands out... BLAH! :evil:
 
Heimdallr said:
LadyRodgers said:
my dilemma is this, I just started smoking at work on my breaks and I've had a ton of comments about when did I start. I've been upfront and stated that I have smoked for years... and now they announce this... I believe that this is discrimination and am contemplating stop smoking at work and just say that I quit! I know this to be dishonest but I feel like they are discriminating against me and believing the lies that the gov. puts out there...
Click to expand...

That's what I would do, stop smoking at work and tell them you quit. Then you can keep the lesser expensive insurance and just smoke when you're away from work. I wouldn't worry about "being dishonest", that's a program instilled in us in order for pathologicals to easily control us. What you'd be doing is creating a strategic enclosure. You could also get your own insurance and keep smoking at work, but you never know down the line what other steps they'll take to further discriminate against smokers.
Click to expand...

I agree. Quit smoking at work and tell them you quit. I'd also tell them you never "smoked much anyway" so it was easy to just quit altogether. When I had health insurance, I told them I was a non-smoker and the rate per month was something like $150/month less! Also, be sure to NEVER admit to being a smoker on any patient information forms you fill out at the dentist or doctor. Those will soon all be online, supposedly by 2014. Strategic enclosure indeed! This is war! :cool2:
 
Lilou said:
Heimdallr said:
I agree. Quit smoking at work and tell them you quit. I'd also tell them you never "smoked much anyway" so it was easy to just quit altogether. When I had health insurance, I told them I was a non-smoker and the rate per month was something like $150/month less! Also, be sure to NEVER admit to being a smoker on any patient information forms you fill out at the dentist or doctor. Those will soon all be online, supposedly by 2014. Strategic enclosure indeed! This is war! :cool2:
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

yes understood no paper trail anywhere. ;)


Edit=Quote :)
 
They discriminate against anything that is not mainstream. I took a health survey at work to get an insurance discount and was dinged for eating "too much red meat" and not eating "enough grains" even though my weight is good, I get a lot of exercise, mediate and my overall health is good. Needless to say, I didn't mention smoking. My main thought about all this was how sneaky that the company is using a discount as a way to get information about employees private lives.
 
It's also a good excuse for them to make more money a thing that they are more interested in than truth :rolleyes:
 
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