Should you pay more if you weigh more? That’s what Alabama’s State Employees’ Insurance Board thinks. In 2011 the board will start charging overweight state workers—those with a body mass index greater than 35—$25 a month for health insurance, which is currently free for all state employees.
(The state is giving workers a two-year head start; if they sign up for free health screenings and make progress, they won’t face the insurance fine.)
Being the second fattest state in the country—behind Mississippi—costs Alabamians lots of money—up to $1.32 billion a year in estimated medical charges, according to a 2004 study.
But is a pay-as-you-grow tax fair to the obese? Well, Alabama, like some private employers, already charges an extra fee to state workers who smoke. Private health insurance companies, of course, base their rates—and coverage refusal—on complex data related to the buyer’s health. Some private employers, who often encourage workers to lose weight with onsite diet and exercise programs, are considering more aggressive measures: Next January, one company in Indiana will begin charging employees up to $30 a month for missing health targets based on smoking, weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure.
At the government level, however, most health levies have been consumer taxes—on cigarettes and booze, for example—and few people, beyond the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation, have argued that taxing fat people simply for being fat is a good idea.
At first glance, the Alabama initiative rang warning bells in my head: Government using a blunt instrument to attack a very complicated problem. (And I say that despite the fact that I pay Alabama taxes, which contribute to the health-care costs of state employees.) But now I’m not so sure it’s a bad idea. Being both Southern and fat, I could use an incentive to lose my extra weight. And if I could, so could they. Maybe this kind of program would begin to reverse the tide of obesity in the Deep South. Or maybe a whole bunch of initiatives need trying to find out what will work.
For many people, $300 isn’t a lot of money. But if the fear of diabetes, heart disease, and death isn’t enough to motivate people to lose weight, fees and taxes tend to get everyone’s attention.
(PHOTO: 123RF)
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Comments (34)
You do realize the Tax Foundation piece on taxing obesity is satire, right?
http://www.taxfoundation.org/press/show/22536.html
BMI of 35? Anyone over 25 is fat. 35 is gigantuin. Like $25 is really going to make a difference. That’s one trip to Mcdonalds for most of these porkers.
My only problem is that BMI is known to not be a reliable “health” factor. Sure, it works generally as a scale for body fat, but there are people who have a BMI of >25, yet are much healthier than many <25. Think most anyone that exercises heavily.
Since BMI is simply a height-to-weight ratio, it does not actually calculate body fat. While I do agree with the idea, I think there should be an out for people with a high BMI if they can prove low body fat.
I realize that this is probably satire but I can see it coming in many states.
I believe that in order to keep it fair (whatever that is) they ought to include smokers, and drinkers of alcoholic beverages! :-)
Finally, something that makes sense. If you want to engage in unhealthy activities, you need to pay to play.
BMI 25 is overweight, 30 is obese. 35 is a pretty safe definition of someone who is of an unhealthy weight. 270lbs for 6 feet tall, 180 for 5 ft. Even very large body builders seem to be in the low 30s. There’s no denying the health impact and therefore I think it’s a fair price differentiator.
If they’re really trying to attack the health issue, why not tax people who don’t offer proof that they exercise regularly, or people who do not eat five servings of fruits or vegetables per day? The only reason for this tax is that most people aren’t that overweight and are happy to throw stones at “fatties”.
As stated BMI is hieght to weight ratio. Thus doesn’t take in effect muscle mass (remember muscle wieghs more than fat), body frame type, etc. And therefor is the worse measurement of health that could be used.
- Ben
@brian
This is simply discrimination unless you are also willing to charge anyone with a “dangerous lifestyle” more money.
Gay? More chance of STD. Single? Same story. Drive a motorcycle? Go rock climbing for fun? Own a boat? Drink alcohol (ever)?
This would be a yet another way to shame overweight people. Instead of fining them, how about fining employers who make no effeort to help employees develop a good excercise/diet plan? In California, too many areas are ridiculed for the amount of fat people, but these same areas have 1 or more gangs- just walking around the block could and does get people killed. I don’t hear of too many employers who have excercise areas, provide discounts to or access to gyms, or even have a healthy cafeteria. The fat bashers do so because it would take employers caring for and spending money on their employees, and in this current workplace that would never happen-it would cut into the stock options for upper management and profits for shareholders….
BMI isn’t everything, but combined with a body fat % and it can be an excellent indicator. Arnold Schwarzenegger had a BMI in the 30’s during his body building career, though he certainly wasn’t fat. So hopefully they’ll be looking at more than just BMI, but a few other factors such as body fat as well.
I do think this is a good measure and as “invasive” as it might be- everyone is currently paying for the increased costs from everyone else’s poor health choices and so it is time that people start owning up to their OWN choices. Money is probably the only way to do it.
Tax the junk foods and the people who push fatty and/or unhealthy foods. Since when do we equate fees and taxes with helping cure a SICKNESS? Overeating IS just that, as much as alcoholism is. How many fast-health-food restaurants do we see that the common folk can drive up to and place an order within their budget? Find the ‘healthy’ foods in the grocery store, or a restaurant, and the prices are so high it is impossible to buy them- except sporadically!!
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khazeh, most people are not skinny, they’re fat. I don’t want to pay higher taxes for fat folks. Sometimes I have to turn down cupcakes too! I live in Alabama & my favorite passtime is to sit in the mall foodcourt & watch porkers waddle by. The BMI limit for the fat tax is 35 that’s high enough to keep some of that comfort weight. I understand that obesity for some people is a disease they can’t help, genetics or whatever. But we’re the 2nd fattest state in the country & all inbreeding jokes aside, I don’t think it’s all genetics!
Well personally I think it’s utter BS. The State, Government etc…. have no business telling us as citizens any of this paying more because of your BMI, because you smoke, because you drink……now they want to punish us as citizens for something they have allowed for “HOW Many YEARS”? You want people to change eating habits, living habits? Then outlaw the fast food chains, cigarette makers and the alcohol producers etc…. take away what little comforts are left. I’m sick to death of being told what to do what to say or not say or how to disipline the youth of today, this is suppose to be America home of the FREE! What a joke !
Satire or not, studies and polls have shown being fat doesn’t necessarily mean you are in poor health. If this is done, it will just give people who already DON’T want to go the doctor a more tangible reason. More humiliation and then if there ARE health issues they will in time become more costly because certain sectors of society have been alienated. Face it, people are just predudice when it comes to fat people and the media on it’s slow news days churning out the propaganda of “Fat” phobics it’s no wonder people are so willing to dog the obese. I see a law suit waiting to happen!
starts with “overweight” people… then onto to others, becareful what you wish for.. YOU might just get it!
I think it should be tried. Also believe that free program should be available to help people loose weight. Food taxes in the south should be revised to only tax fattening and high Cholesterol foods.
You know, I don’t blame any one but myself for being overweight! This is my problem and I have spent most of my life trying to fix it. But people here have spoken as if heavy people are the scum of the earth and they aren’t worth being treated like human beings! I am so sorry to hear that some people have nothing better to do than sit around the mall and watch fat people walk by. I am sure they could find better uses of their time. I am overweight and still I have better things to do than watch how slutty some skinny people dress or how much money they spend on themselves, or how much alcohol they drink or how late they are out partying, or who they are sleeping with or who they are bashing because they don’t have anything better to do. Yes I am overweight but I spend my time being with my family, working with young children, and trying to make a difference in my community. I already spend more money for my health insurance and for my life insurance because of my weight. It is not something I choose to do. I may be fat but I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I am not sleeping around and I led a pretty good life. Overeating is my problem but it sounds as though some of you need to re-evaluate your own lives. An unhealthy lifestyle does not just consist of overeating.
This is nothing more than the big daddy control. It is just another way to get in our pockets. There are other unhealthly lifestyle that are way more costly to society, such as alcoholism which cost lives not just in automoblie deaths but in families lives. This is just crazy.
Satire or not, it was on CNN. I’ll pay for being fat the day they make smokers, druggies, and drinkers pay. Not all skinny people are healthy you know.
Just like others I too think this is unfair. I do think that we need to get a control on our weight, but this is the wrong way of doing so. About two years ago Alabama was the fattest state in this country. You would walk around the mall and everywhere you would turn there was someone talking about diets. Now out of the blue they want to tax you for being fat. Well, excuse me if i’ve affended anyone for MY problem, but last I checked it was none of your business. You don’t have to look at me, turn the other way. They didin’t make Benjamin Franklin pay taxes to sign the Declaration of Independance. And further more, this “law” is extremely unconstitutional on sooooo many levels. It is also discrimination against us. If they are going to tax fat people for helth issues, than they need to tax people who drink alcohol, smoke ( of any sort), diabetes, asthma, some skinny folks that has weight issues such as belemia, and many more. What I want to know is what about the people who are house ridden and can’t go outside or about the people who are just big boned or actually inheritted their weight problems. Cause there is not much they can do about that. So what I say to this is that the government needs to go back to the drawing board and re-think their strategy, cause I know tons of people here actually in Alabama don’t know about this and when they do and it gets closer to time for it to go in effect they are not going to be happy and will probably petition this. Now as Forrest Gump once said,” And thats all I got to say about that…” .
This is what you get for approaching socialism even though history has proven time and again that it ends up in evil. We need a SMALLER government not a larger one. The only thing that it should be responsible for is PROTECTION AGAINST FORCE. That is what true freedom is.
We are NOT free. Money is taken out of our pockets by FORCE to pay for things we do not necessarily agree with.
You cannot eat your cake and have it.
If you want the people to pay health insurance tax, then you have no choice but to be congruent and accept the obesity tax.
You want freedom, then there’s always laisez faire capitalism. Vote for it.
Cobra comments
For folks considering leaving a job, and it’s health ins. benefits, to do their own thing.
Here is the most important thing to be aware of. If you are going to be responsible for paying for your own health insurance until age 65 when Medicare comes into play and picks up 80 % of any possible medical expenses then you want a PERMANENT PLAN A.S.A.P.
Let me elaborate with an example. One of our clients took out a plan in 8/2001 at 248 per month. That plan,7 yers later, now is at 667 per month.” So, why doesn’t he drop it for another?” Because while on that plan he had a change in his health condition and now the only other plan that he would qualify for is a Group health insurance plan. Which back in 2001 would have started at over 1000 per month.
Cobra really only covers you for that “one big hit.” Then you leave it with a pre existing condition where you either don’t qualify for an individual plan, or in the case of Cobra, as long as you don’t wait 63 days from it’s expiration, where you would be out of the Individual health insurance market … you get to pay double premium.
Cobra was designed only to avoid an immediate lapse in coverage when leaving a group plan. Not to be used any longer than necessary. Especially if you do not have another group plan waiting on you.
Sincerely,
Joe Jessome
Alabama-Health-Insurance-1.com
Smart Health Insurance Inc.
http://www.SmartHealthInsurance.com
800-828-2950
Monday – Saturday until 8:00pm (est)
Sun till 4
Even though its satire, this article makes a valid point. I would love to see overweight people charged even more. $100 a month for every 100 pounds overweight they are. Maybe it will cut down on their food budget. Obesity is completely preventable. Less calories and more movement means healthier leaner bodies. Its a simple matter of physics.
Same goes for drunks. For every beer consumed in a month, a dollar more to insurance premiums.
Hey! I like this. Maybe now people will start being accountable for their lifestyle choices instead of calling every weakness in character a disease.
This is a great start – but only a start. Comments above (with a few exceptions) are very accurate. The rule isn’t based around a BMI of >25 (normal = 24.9), it’s 35, which is well above the healthy target and will have rare “false positives” in terms of accuracy due to athletes, weight lifters, etc.
Another key on which there has been little comment is that as long as these individuals are making improvements, they won’t be subject to the fee. That’s good. Any effective employee wellness program (see http://www.uscorporatewellness.com) will include opportunities applicable to everyone – regardless of their current situation in life.
If you like the data, here’s a link to a White Paper on the ROI of Employee Wellness that may be helpful: http://www.uscorporatewellness.com/USCW%20-%20White%20Paper%202009.pdf
Enjoyed the comments,
Brad Cooper
http://www.USCorporateWellness.com
This is sooo stupid…does the State of Alabama insurance cover the cost of weightless sugery …probably NOT.
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Medications that cause a person to be overweight ~ all those so “happy to tax people” thought about this? Example: I was 125 pounds 5′10″ from 11th grade until I was 38 y.o. and then a medical condition in which the medication caused me to gain 80 pounds in 4 months. I have friends who have been on cancer meds which caused them to become overweight. Maybe the drug companies need to test their medications before they start handing them out to make sure they won’t cause a skinny person to become overweight…..
If we’re going to be charged extra premiums for being smokers, and highter premiums for auto insurance for having tickets and/or bad credit, then yes, charge us an extra premium for being fat. The extra premium can go towards medicare to help pay for all the health problems of some elderly folk due to being obese. I say, bring it on!
I wonder why they don’t add a surcharge for homosexuals. The homosexual lifestyle is very harmful & unhealthy. The Red Cross won’t even accept blood from any man who has had sex with another man… I think that speaks volumes about how unhealthy Homosexuality is. Why the discrimination against smokers & fat people. Homosexuals should be charged more too!! Alabama State Employees Insurance Board, Why are you discriminating??
Be careful!This is a sign of to much gov.! We are being told when where what we can do by a government that has done been bought & sold.If we had the courage to follow GOD’s laws these type of man laws are needless. It’s hard to believe that the USA has come to this.
“The Red Cross won’t even accept blood from any man who has had sex with another man… I think that speaks volumes about how unhealthy Homosexuality is”
As someone who has worked in the blood banking industry, I would ask you not to use the rules governing blood collection to support your own prejudices.
The rules are in place to protect the blood supply, and came about after a flat refusal by the industry to accept the growing research on HIV/AIDS until it caused a crisis in our country.
You can not donate if you have lived or visited certain countries (this sometimes includes military service personnel who were stationed in areas of Europe), have specific health problems which could affect you or a recipient, take certain medication, engage or have engaged in certain lifestyles…the list goes on. Blood taken from a compensated donor is banned from transfusion.
All of these precautions are there to protect the recipients as much as possible. They are not judgments and there role is not to support arguments that a particular lifestyle or sexual activity is unhealthy.
The amazing point of this story is not about the tax on people based on their body size or weight, it is that state employees get their health insurance for free. What a joke; join the real world people. There is an economic crisis going on and we have tax payer supported jobs getting free health care.