Bill to ban smokers from Medicaid (Maine)

[Maine_Nurse]

http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/01/21/politics/bills-would-deny-mainecare-to-smokers-raising-smoking-age/

The proposal would deny coverage to smokers in Maine. Can't imagine it making it through, but there it is nonetheless. Over 300,000 Maine residents are on MaineCare (Medicaid) out of 1.3 million total residents. A significant portion are smokers.

[jody]

1. If successful, will beer, junk food, etc. be next? n/t

[notesdev]

2. Interesting

who's up next?

Who else may then be deemed to be less equal than others?

[MineralMan]

3. Well, black people are more prone to high blood pressure and

diabetes. So, they might think about not offering medicaid to them, either.

[Maine_Nurse]

5. I'm thinking...

Overweight
Alcohol consumers
Caffeine users
Drivers
People who own a bathtub
Anyone in a home with electricity
Kitchen knife users
Water drinkers (excess water consumption kills more people per year than cannabis ever)
Aspirin users (nearly as many deaths per year as firearms between direct and indirect causes)
Barbecue users (nearly anything that burns from fire contains some level of carcinogens)
Junk food eaters
Non-vegans
Vegans (since they might miscalculate what to eat to make up for individual plant deficiencies and also plants absorb toxins)
People that breathe anything except purified bottled air

Hmm, if all countries possessing nuclear weapons launched and detonated their entire stockpiles in population centers, we'd cut down so much on health insurance costs, we could balance our budget. NUKES FOR HEALTHCARE!!!

[Odin2005]

4. That is fucked up!

[Warpy]

6. I hate smoking as much as anyone can, but this is just plain nuts

Smoking is one of the stupidest, most self destructive things out there, but it's still legal.

Trying to ban voluntary human behavior never works. Trying to ban legal behavior is even crazier. The stick is not going to work. Offering the carrot of increased payments if they successfully complete smoking cessation programs voluntarily might work better if all they want is for people to stop smoking.

Trying to beat them into it by starving their kids won't work.