Obama proposes gift for drug industry by exempting smokers from premium hikes if they enroll in ineffective cessation programs

[Bill Godshall]

Obama proposes gift to drug industry in proposed healthcare regulations by exempting smokers from premium increases by enrolling in ineffective smoking cessation programs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/20/three-ways-obamacare-changed-today/

Obama Administration Gives Smokers A Way Out Of Higher insurance Premiums
Obama Administration Gives Smokers A Way Out Of Higher Insurance Premiums | GantDaily.com

Three ways Obamacare changed Tuesday
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/20/three-ways-obamacare-changed-today/

If anyone has a weblink for the newly proposed federal regulations, please post.

 

[Bill Godshall]

The comments supporting the Obama administration's proposed changes in the healthcare law by lobbyists at ACS and ALA (who are funded by the drug industry) indicate that these groups lobbied the Obama administration to exempt smokers from premium increases if they simply enroll in a smoking cessation program (that almost certainly relies upon NRT patches, gums or lozenges).

 

[reikoshea]

So here's what I'm curious about. My company offers rebates for vaping supplies as part of smoking cessation (though not federally recognized as such). The material listed here says 'This approach would encourage tobacco users to pursue tobacco cessation remedies offered under their employers’ wellness programs'.

I wonder if that means that I can get lower insurance costs since I'm technically using my employers smoking cessation program.

 

[Vocalek]

First of all, the law permits insurers to charge 1.5 times the regular premium to smokers, so that's an increase, not a savings. Second, the under the proposed regulation, the insurer can skip charging smokers the extra premium if they enroll in their employers' / insurer's smoking cessation program.

So yes, you would qualify for the exemption.

 

[potholerepairman]

Its a horrible thing that our prez( who I think does better than the other option, so bias is mine) did to not look into before signing off on.The idea has been in place at UHC for a year plus now and really is just a big pay back to the insurance industry that may take years of failed smokers quitting to undue.Its heartbreaking to see it about politics and not citizens to cloud any belief that anyone has your back trying to do the right thing.

 

[reikoshea]

I meant a savings since I'm pretty sure I already get charged more for insurance. I know my election paperwork asked if I smoke, but that might have been life insurance and not health insurance...it's been a few months.

 

[RosaJ]

The way I read it is that BP is now getting paid by the federal government by forcing people to use their worthless products. It's all about money! BP couldn't care less if people died from using their ineffective product or went back to cigarettes. As a matter of fact, they would love people to start smoking again because they have a second chance to sell their wares.

So what happens to employees who use the gums, patches, Chantix and fall off the wagon? Do they get fired because they smoke again?

Hmm...

 

[Luisa]

Its a horrible thing that our prez( who I think does better than the other option, so bias is mine) did to not look into before signing off on.The idea has been in place at UHC for a year plus now and really is just a big pay back to the insurance industry that may take years of failed smokers quitting to undue.Its heartbreaking to see it about politics and not citizens to cloud any belief that anyone has your back trying to do the right thing.

Where have you been? This administration has not looked to us for any stop smoking solutions! In fact,they pay no attention to us or to the scientific reality of the effectiveness of ecigs in quitting smoking.

 

[zapped]

From my standpoint it seems like the current administration is only good at one thing and thats generating more red tape for everyone.

 

[Fiamma]

Guess the campaign money received required a payback. So much for his original anti lobby spiel.

 

[jamie]

I see that the second of the three articles also includes this line: "The regulation also allows states to eliminate higher rates for smokers altogether". Wonder what the detail is behind that.

 

[Racehorse]

Obama used to sneak off behind buildings and smoke. When he became President, they told him that to be a smoker would be a very bad role model/image. So he stopped. That was the perfect time to "lobby" him, on a personal level, by sending a vaping team over.

I try to get people in my little town to get off cigarettes......but they dont' even know what vaping is. And when I tell them, they still don't know. People need hands-on, they need to try it, they need to feel and see it.

Did anyone invite Pres. Obama to a vape meet? God knows, he gets all kinds of invitations........


There were no ecig vendors anywhere in the Wash DC or MD area that could have invited him to a vape meet or offered a demonstration where convenient for him?

Personally, I think he would have gotten a kick out of vaping, especially when he was trying to quit cigarettes. He's not an old fuddy-duddy.

The lobbyists works on the Hill, they see presidents and have access to people and make contact.

I'm not even talking about politics here, I'm talking I'm a good businesswoman, and if I had a vaping concern anywhere w/in 200 miles of him, I would have been trying to figure out a way to "sell" him . heck I would be figuring out how to sell the entire house of representatives and every secretary and even the gardeners over there. You know there are thousands of people "over there" that smoke.

All the good contracts any of my friends ever got with big concerns were done on a more personal level, ie. the golf course, a community dinner at the fire department, etc.........I believe strongly in reaching out and touching up close and personal. Not ONE person who attends all those fancy political charities, dinners, picnics SMOKES? They're just people, ie. to a business person, a "market".

 

[Racehorse]

So, let's each of us, instead of doing it for a contest on ECF to win free juice............take a picture of ourselves vaping.

Put in an envelope and send it. Personal stories, like we tell here, included on a sheet of typing paper. Doctors notes, whatever.

How many pieces of mail is that?

 

[Luisa]

So, let's each of us, instead of doing it for a contest on ECF to win free juice............take a picture of ourselves vaping.

Put in an envelope and send it. Personal stories, like we tell here, included on a sheet of typing paper. Doctors notes, whatever.

How many pieces of mail is that?

Sorry,only a staffer might read them,but even that is unlikely. He knows about ecigs . John Boehner has already demonstrated them to him. He might even be using on on occasion,who knows. He could have reigned in the FDA and HHS a long time ago if he wanted to do that. Give the letters a try and good luck.

 

[DC2]

Obama has been given at least two electronic cigarette kits...

Senator Cliff Stearns (who uses/used electronic cigarettes himself) gave one to Obama.
Also talk show host Wendy Williams sent him one.

No word on whether he ever tried them.

 

[Racehorse]

Sorry,only a staffer might read them,

Um, that's the way it works. Unless anyone thinks the POTUS sits opening and reading mail all day.

This is precisely what staffers are hired for.

 

[JazzyTech]

I wonder how many staffers are vaping thanks to the free PVs that have been sent?

 

[Racehorse]

It is somewhat ironic how many members on ECF express a desire to buy american-made ejuice over that which is made in China. I assume that is because they believe there is better oversight here or something? The number of topics questioning the safety of everything from VG, PG, flavorings, diactyls, silica wicks, burnt polyfill, etc. is huge. So are the complaints about "being used as guinea pigs for untested junk made in China".

Perhaps a consensus needs to be reached about what is ultimately of the highest importance.

Under-funding, under-regulating, or moving the FDA toward less stringent regulatory oversight is all well and good, but I somehow forsee people would be complaining about their children and grandparents dying of salmonella and/or e-coli poisoning in their eggs and ice cream, or adverse events and death from pharmaceutical drugs.

Can't have it both ways, just sayin'. One of my neighbors changed his tune when HIS child was undergoing clinical trials for her cancer. Suddenly, more regulation and complete transparency became very important to this family, as for the families who were poisoned when those egg producers in Iowa sold 550 million contaminated eggs.

People's politics have a way of playing to their own small set of concerns and experiences. Myself included. But I can at least admit that there is a selfishness in that because what I want can't always be interpreted as "serving the greatest good."

I don't believe for a moment that vaping is more important than food safety, for instance. So I tread carefully into territory where I may be asked to throw the baby out with the bathwater over a "one issue" concern. As for industry oversight, I have never believed that the foxes should be put in charge of watching the henhouse. This is just common sense.

No answers here, just observations.

 

[potholerepairman]

Where have you been? This administration has not looked to us for any stop smoking solutions! In fact,they pay no attention to us or to the scientific reality of the effectiveness of ecigs in quitting smoking.

hello, there is no party or admin who has given us the time of day,some parties still believe in the 5000 year thing, its going to take some time to even get a half sane person to not think vaping is some backwoods "we want to abort jesus thing". love your thoughts but most of the crazys still think vaping is nuts( have family who think its still dangerous) we have an uphill fight.

 

[Luisa]

hello, there is no party or admin who has given us the time of day,some parties still believe in the 5000 year thing, its going to take some time to even get a half sane person to not think vaping is some backwoods "we want to abort jesus thing". love your thoughts but most of the crazys still think vaping is nuts( have family who think its still dangerous) we have an uphill fight.

Potholerepairman,this administration and HHS have declared all out war against us. Are you familiar with HHS scaremongering press release of 2009 and the lawsuit that was filed by 2 ecig companies against HHs for the Embargo they levied against ecig importers? They have gone through the backdoor to ban ecigs since that time. It is this Administration that has gone to war against harm reduction products. The previous administrations" HHS Secretary was a proponent of harm reduction.