SB 287 proposes, among other things, to raise costs for members of the State Health Plan who smoke or are obese.
Interestingly, while the State Health Plans covers visits to the doctor for smoking cessation as well as associated prescriptions, the State Health Plan does not cover weight loss visits to a physician, nor does it cover drugs prescribed specifically for weight loss.
Even though obesity is among the top killers in America, such treatment is defined as “cosmetic” and is therefore not covered.
Will this lack of support continue before the Plan’s “fax tax” is enacted? Will obesity continue to be treated as a cosmetic issue right until it is time to penalize members?
Will members continue to struggle with what the state now clearly considers a medical liability without insurance support as the state prepares to penalize members for this “cosmetic”, costly medical condition?
Smoking is a deliberate choice. If there is a genetic link to smoking, it has yet to be discovered. On the other hand, research suggests that the propensity to obesity is strongly influenced by genetic and environmental factors, some of which are beyond the control of the obese individual.
If genetic propensities are to be considered in the level of coverage of the health insurance benefit offered to state employees, the following conditions should also be considered for a surcharge, as they have been linked to heredity as well:
1) Heart disease
2) Breast cancer
3) Genetic diseases/disorders
4) Alcoholism/drug addiction
And so on. You get the idea.
If the state is not prepared to discriminate in the coverage they offer to these individuals, it seems unfair to continue to discriminate against the obese by both denying them treatment and reducing their coverage.
The decreased coverage and increased costs in the State Health Plan that target the obese are discriminatory and represent a legal liability to the Plan. We strongly urge lawmakers to remove these provisions from SB 287.
To those of you who say that these provisions are a good idea, beware. You’re next.