obamacare and vaping?

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so the government healtcare marketplaces are impossible to log onto. however, msnbc has this tool NBCU - Affordable Care Act. question number 6 asks if you "use tobacoo". since my wife and i both quit smoking and now vape, how is that question supposed to be answered?? i think the answer is NO we do NOT use tobacco. vaping does NOT = smoking. its actually very simple, someone who vapes, uses the gum, the patch, snus, or even chews does NOT take the same risks as someone who smokes a pack per day of marlboros. someone who smokes the occasional pipe or cigar also does not take the same risks as some who smokes cigarettes either. my wife and i will both answer no. there should be several options for tobacoo use, like do you smoke cigarettes? do you use other nicotine products? i have no problem paying a SMALL premuim charge because i vape, because well i take a small risk. i certainlly DO NOT think that i should have to pay full cigarette surcharge if i am never going to smoking related diseases

i have insurance but my wife does not, as the family plan where i work is $100 per week. a single plan is only $33 per week. so the family plan where i work meets the definition of un-afforable as per the afforable healthcare act. my wife hurt her back and cannot go back to her old job so she is re-training for a different job, as a result we lost the great insurance we once had that she carried at her prevous job. once she gets a job we will not longer be elligible for the tax incentive for insurance that costs more the 9.5% of the household income.

basically if both members of the house work then you can no get the tax incentive

 

[ClippinWings]

As a Vaper... under the law as currently wirtten, it appears you will be liable for the smoking surcharge.

they base it on Cotinine levels in the blood... not on the physical act of smoking.

A habitual nicotine gum or snus user would also have to pay.

 

[Ranic85]

I will just pay the penalty.

 

[White Rabbit]

Here is your answer!

 

[Petrodus]

I will just pay the penalty.

Heard today on the news ...
The number one question being asked today
is what's the penalty for not signing up ??


Taking bets the OCA will eventually morph into a
single payer system ... which many speculate was the plan all along.

 

[cookiebun]

Nicotine is derived from tobacco, they don't care how you get it. My employer told us in no uncertain terms, if you test positive for nicotine after claiming no tobacco use, you get fired. I used to pay the tobacco surcharge which was pretty painful. It was a big incentive for me to get myself nicotine free. I'm glad I did. Next year my insurance is going to go down even more than it did last year.

I don't know how those exchanges work but if you were paying for that out of your own pocket and the insurance company found out you lied about nicotine after you have oh, maybe a heart attack , they could probably revoke your policy and deny your claim. You'd have committed fraud against them.
I strongly advise you to bite the bullet and pay the surcharge.

BTW, When I got myself down to 1/4mg per ml I tested myself for nicotine. It come up positive. "Smoker" no less, not even "Second Hand Smoke. "

 

[Penner]

Thank the democrats.

Obamacare = 100% voted for by democrats. Not one repub vote.

Proud of yourselves? You shot yourselves in the foot.

That Obamacare was going to penalize all nicotine users was known over a year ago (before Obamacare was passed).

 

[Pickleskunk]

This is the problem with big government and the status quo of our political system. Everyday we lose a little bit more freedom. This issue is the straw that broke my camel's back. We are no longer a free nation. Nothing will change as long as we are complacent. 90% of all politicians need to be recalled. We are supposed to have the power, not them. That was the way it was set up. Unfortunately, those who are dependent on entitlements and big money donors have swayed the balance of power to the politicians, who rarely live up to any campaign promise except to cater to future voters and future donors to remain in office.

 

[Neloish]

According to the way the ACA is written they can ONLY take a penalty from your tax return. So the simple solution is to pay exactly the amount you need to in taxes and not have a return. Or defer taxes until tax season (if your responsible).

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

10char nope nope

 

[hnsenter]

A lawyer at a convention said that anything containing nicotine derived from tobacco plant is considered tobacco, at least according to the perspective of the law, and is the reason why the FDA gets to regulate the industry. Since, I'm not aware of any e-juices using nicotine derived from tomato or alternative sources (which according to the law could be viewed as a drug), you would technically have to put yes.

 

[cookiebun]

Thank the democrats.

Obamacare = 100% voted for by democrats. Not one repub vote.

Proud of yourselves? You shot yourselves in the foot.

That Obamacare was going to penalize all nicotine users was known over a year ago (before Obamacare was passed).

Exactly the opposite.
I was paying nearly double a non smoker under my employer's plan at work since 2006. I got myself nicotine free so that surcharge went away. However, our plan has such high deductibles and co-insurance that I still can't afford to actually use our VERY EXPENSIVE insurance.
Now, thanks to obamacare, my employer is offering a second option. A very CHEAP plan that meets the minimum requirements of the new law.
I still can't afford to use my insurance but it will only cost about a third as much as it did last year. It's less than half the price what I was paying in 2006.
I'm pretty happy with the new law. At least I'm not getting RIPPED OFF for insurance I can't actually use.

BTW, I'm an independent. I like to make my own choices, not bow to ideology.
Sent from work, sorry about the typos.

 

[NakiFantaki]

This whole thing seems stupid.
How can vaping be considered smoking? It has nothing to do with tobacco.
Correct me if I'm wrong but don't all the health problems come from the actual tobacco? Nicotine by itself does not cause COPD and the multitude of other heath problems that tobacco does. So why should we have to pay a fee? Dumb.

Sent from my HTC VLE_U using Tapatalk 2

 

[Petrodus]

Thank the democrats.

Obamacare = 100% voted for by democrats. Not one repub vote.

Proud of yourselves? You shot yourselves in the foot.

That Obamacare was going to penalize all nicotine users was known over a year ago (before Obamacare was passed).

I suggest there's more than a few ECF members
who have scraped off their Obama bumper stickers.

 

[Stegle]

I suggest there's more than a few ECF members
who have scraped off their Obama bumper stickers.

Never had one and I hope there's not many here that need to scrape one off! IMO his being elected (???) was the beginning of our end and it sure looks like it's coming to pass...again, just my opinion!!

 

[Jcdew67]

I guess if you are a vegetarian you still have to check the "yes" box since a lot of them contain Nicotine.


It doesn't ask you how much Nicotine only if you use it in which you would have to reply "yes"

 

[cookiebun]

I guess if you are a vegetarian you still have to check the "yes" box since a lot of them contain Nicotine.

You'd need to eat 28 pounds of eggplant to get the amount of nicotine in your blood that a smoker has.
There's a 2 year old thread about that here on ECF somewhere.
This is a topic that comes up a lot on ECF.

Edit: Ok I found the old thread. Its 22lbs not 28:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...cussion/219410-health-insurance-e-cigs-5.html

Edit for those of you knocking Obamacare:
I guess you don't know what it's like to walk around with a broken foot for for more than six months because you have no insurance. I guess you don't know what it's like to wear SANDALS IN JANUARY (subzero temps) because they are the only shoes that will fit over your broken foot. I guess you don't know what it's like that more than 33 years latter that I can still feel where I broke that foot as I sit here typing. I guess you don't know what it's like to have your WHOLE LIFE revolve around that FRIGGING FOOT THAT YOU BROKE 33 years ago. I have no life outside work, my foot hurts too much.

 

[ItTechy]

It depends on the question!

If the Affordable Health Care questionnaire asks if you use tobacco vs. are you a smoker that's a gotcha!

If on the other hand as my private insurance asks, are you a smoker, then NO, even my Doc says this....

 

[Beans]

You'd need to eat 28 pounds of eggplant to get the amount of nicotine in your blood that a smoker has.
There's a 2 year old thread about that here on ECF somewhere.
This is a topic that comes up a lot on ECF.

Edit: Ok I found the old thread. Its 22lbs not 28:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...cussion/219410-health-insurance-e-cigs-5.html

Edit for those of you knocking Obamacare:
I guess you don't know what it's like to walk around with a broken foot for for more than six months because you have no insurance. I guess you don't know what it's like to wear SANDALS IN JANUARY (subzero temps) because they are the only shoes that will fit over your broken foot. I guess you don't know what it's like that more than 23 years latter that I can still feel where I broke that foot as I sit here typing. I guess you don't know what it's like to have your WHOLE LIFE revolve around that FRIGGING FOOT THAT YOU BROKE 23 years ago. I have no life outside work, my foot hurts too much.

Actually, there is no reason for you to walk around with a broken foot dear. The DR's and Hospitals MUST treat you for your illnesses/injuries. All you have to do is make the minimum payment of $10 every month to repay medical debt. This is the law.

And yes, Obama care is terrible! As well as I know what it's like to not have insurance at all. It took me 6 and 1/2 years to pay off my 30 thousand dollar debt for surgery when I had no insurance. I paid every penny myself, I had no help from anyone, all the while living off minimum wage. It can be done with out the Goverment forcing us into bad insurance, people just need to take responsibility for themselves.

 

[Petrodus]

Actually, there is no reason for you to walk around with a broken foot dear. The DR's and Hospitals MUST treat you for your illnesses/injuries. All you have to do is make the minimum payment of $10 every month to repay medical debt. This is the law.

Just because small monthly payments are sometimes accepted by hospitals and doctors
doesn't mean it's a law they have to accept tiny payment and can't come after you for the balance. Believe it Or Not.

There's no such law requiring medical to accept $10 per month.

Edit:
I've been looking for the one who started the rumor it's a law they
have to accept tiny payments and they can't do anything to you.
The rumor a few years ago was ... "As long as you pay $5 per month ...."