I think yes and no. This is the tip of the iceberg for approximately a third of everything that is wrong with healthcare in the US. This part of the root problem is prevention versus treatment. It doesn't just apply for people who smoke; it applies for people who don't get a check up or who ignore signs of disease. The current system doesn't really do anything about that; too much paperwork.

The government might have an easier time of making it beneficial for us to be responsible. As you said, this means drawing a line where the government needs to allow us to make our own choices and push us in the right direction. It also needs to reduce the pressure on responsible people to pay for irresponsible people. The most obvious way, to me, is to charge a higher premium for people who miss checkups and go against doctor's orders.

The disadvantages of this are pretty substantial though; the biggest is that it adds tension to the doctor-patient relationship. However, I think doctors should be a bit pushier--which is part of the reason prevention is so hard right now. It would also put more pressure on doctors from the government...

So that's pretty complicated.

Also, we already tax smokers. I think it'd be a good idea to tax unhealthy foods too. We should make them a luxury instead of a staple. I suppose that money could go towards healthcare costs. This option makes more sense to me, but you'd be fighting companies like McDonalds instead of companies like BlueCrossBlueShield. And you wouldn't be making sure people got their checkups.

nameless wrote:Are you suggesting that the obese are only in such a condition as a resuly of making 'poor' choices? If so, wouldn't that be as antiquated and ignorant as thinking that gays make a conscious choice to be that way?

Nope, since there's a lot more evidence that people's health is related to their diet (unlike sexuality) and people usually choose their diet (unlike sexuality).

Having more sick people already makes health care costs go up. That's part of the reason we're having the health care cost crisis in the first place. So I don't feel sorry for cigarette smokers; the added cost of the cigarette reflects the strain their unhealthy lifestyle puts on the system. Of course, I have no idea how much of a tax would be too much.