Can anyone tell me how the health "care" insurance industry is going to make us healthier?

[CTyankee]

I keep hearing that we will "get" savings by having Americans eat better and exercise more.

How is that going to be achieved? Will there be mandatory "weigh-ins" at your doctor's office? What happens if you fail at losing weight?

How does this industry plan on having us all eat healthier foods? Will junk food be taxed more and fresh fruits and vegetable given away at cost?

How can people be forced to exercise? Will you get reduced health care premiums for buying exercise machines or for your health club membership?

Sorry if these questions seem lame, but I just don't understand what is going on here...

[secondwind]

1. people will have better access to information, and to preventive medicine

People will be able to visit a doctor with an ailment BEFORE it becomes a chronic problem, which would cost more to treat, also.

I think there will also be dissemination of propaganda to more people, which would include healthy eating suggestions, exercise, etc.

[CTyankee]

3. Your first point is fine. That is great. However, dissemination of propaganda

does not automatically change eating/exercise habits. My husband and I have excellent health care insurance w/access to lots of information. It has not been too successful in getting my husband to lose weight that he needs to lose. AFter a scare in the cardiac unit at the hospital he was "good" withhis diet but did not start exercising. His cardiologist reinforces the message but that doctor is not at our house every day.

Lots of people have accessed healthy eating suggestions and exercise info on the Internet. It's just not that difficult now.

This iswhat I see as the problem. Until we get to the same place with eating/exercise that we got to with smoking, not much will change with lots of people, IMO.

[napi21]

2. I know of no way to force people to eat healthier, but I did hear

both Howard Dean & Prez. Obama talk about paying for preventive tests like mamagrams , screening for colon cancer, etc that they believe people would get if they didn't cost so much. Illnesses caught early are many times curable and at a much lower cost than long term treatment or end of life treatment. The other thing I can see them trying to do is make it socially unacceptable to be FAT! They did it with cigaretts, and although a program like that wouldn't eliminate obesity the same as it didn't eleiminate smoking, it could significantly reduct it.

[CTyankee]

4. Unlike smoking, you will hear from some people that they are not fat

because they eat too much or are lazy but because of either their metabolism or medication they must take for other problems. Smokers could only fall back on the "addiction" excuse. People don't have to smoke to live unlike eating.

The increased access to preventive tests is a very good thing. Again, tho, I wonder how many people will voluntarily sign up for a colonoscopy at even a reduced rate. My colonoscopy was covered completely by my insurance and yet I was essentially forced into having one for diagnostic purposes so I know all about the aversion/laziness/stupidity involved in that! Now I see it differently and think of it as a life saver.

There are lots of "fronts" on the war against unhealthy lifestyles. I'm all for the programs and hope they succeed but I think it will take time over the long haul...

[BanzaiBonnie]

5. I've heard talk of rewards and penalties

A penalty is a punishment for baaaaaaad behavior.

Thank how well that's worked in the War on Drugs.

Two of the definitions of punishment:




Definition: Any pain, suffering, or loss inflicted on a person because of a crime or offense.



Definition: A penalty inflicted by a court of justice on a convicted offender as a just retribution, and incidentally for the purposes of reformation and prevention.

[AndyTiedye]

6. They'll Jack Up Our Rates

That is the one thing they are really good at.

So they will come up with a bunch of new excuses for jacking up our rates for not living a "healthy" enough lifestyle.

[CTyankee]

8. So smokers have to pay more for their health care?

You know what will happen. People will start lying to their doctors, more than they do now. Nobody will admit to smoking or drinking or taking drugs to their docs. Some large people already refuse to be weighed in the dr.s office.

[leftstreet]

7. All the sick people will die, then you won't risk catching anything from them

Something like that