This is happening at my work

[Racehorse]

Because where will it end? Smokers are easy targets...they aren't putting a surcharge (no offense to anyone) for obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes type 2, etc. What about unprotected sex (happily married), do I sign a waiver for that too? ok, that part being sarcastic, but makes you think doesn't it?

I remember a time when if you had HIV or AIDS you couldn't even have a job........remember that movie with Tom Hanks "Philadelphia"? So heart-rending. I remember a time when insurance companies even at workplace plans could exclude you based on pre-existing conditions.

My insurance premiums DOUBLED at my small workplace once.................2 reasons, our boss had a heart bypass and 35% of the women (it was a young company) had babies that year, and some of those pregnancies involved complications both before and after birth. I was perfectly healthy and not having babies at the time. Sometimes life isn't fair but thru political, legal and other means, things often can be moved to being more fair . Sometimes we are on the receiving end sometimes on the giving end. I certainly didn't hold it against my boss that he had a bad heart, nor my pregnant co-workers who wanted to have a family. Sometimes we just have to cover for each other, that's what living in *civilization* is all about. There are other needs, and other voices to contend with.

It does suck this happened to you, but this too, shall pass IMHO Stay politically active, etc. and do it in a righteous way with courtesy and aplomb.

 

[zapped]

When you boil it all down insurance is just legalized gambling and even then they cheat by stacking the odds heavily in their favor. We'll never have a good healthcare system in this country mainly because of insurance.An overhaul of the complete system would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs.

 

[DR. Schwartz]

My two cents... pony up the dough. Insurance is too important in the US, if you don't have it and get sick you will be in debt for the rest of your life. Believe me, I am 31 and have had a brain tumor and skin cancer in the past two years. If I did not have kick a** insurance I would be paying for those two illnesses for the rest of my life.

 

[Kemosabe]

are we tobacco users? the nicotine we use comes from tobacco rather than a man-made method as far as i know. its a tough call, but i honestly think non-tobacco user is the most appropriate answer based on what the question is trying to evoke. a traditional tobacco user is subject to many health risks that a nicotine vaporizing individual is not.

 

[Kemosabe]

All of the following vegetables contain nicotine in varying amounts. Just putting this out there in case people need to use that in similar cases.

1. Tomato: As hard as it is to believe, tomatoes do contain some amounts of nicotine. It has a net weight of 7.1 to 7.3ng/g. What this translates to is about 7.1 ng of nicotine for each gram a tomato has. However, it is said that the nicotine content reduces when the tomato ripens and it contains a nicotine alkaloid known as tomatine.

2. Potato: This is a vegetable that contains a nicotine alkaloid known as solanine, mostly found in the peel. A potato has an average weight of 15ng/g but goes to about 42.8ng/g if the potato is green or still budding while the ripe ones contain as little as 4.3ng/g net weight. If you get pureed potatoes, then the amount shoots up to about 52ng/g. Such high nicotine content is said to have fatal implications on human health.

3. Eggplant: Also known as aubergines, these contain about 100ng/g of this harmful substance. This may be the highest nicotine reading next to tobacco products. This loosely translates to the fact that about 10 kilograms of eggplants could contain the nicotine content of a cigarette.

4. Teas: As much as tea is one of the healthiest beverages around, it also contains some amount of nicotine. Green and black tea, whether caffeinated or decaf, does contain some nicotine. Black tea, for example, has content of about 100ng/g of nicotine. Instant tea, as compared to natural brewed tea, may have a nicotine reading going up to 285ng/g.

5. Peppers and Capsicums: These food flavorings contain alkaloids known as solanine and solanadine, much like the other nightshade family variations. You will find that peppers contain solanine levels of about 7.7 to 9.2 mg per 100 grams of food serving.

6. Cauliflower: Although it is not part of the nightshade family, it does contain its own share of nicotine. Cauliflower has nicotine standing of about 16.8ng/g.

i was told in a DARE class as a child that mj also contains nicotine.

 

[DC2]

The problem is ecigs are now officially classified as tobacco products.

If/when the FDA issues regulations to subject electronic cigarettes to Chapter IX of the FSPTCA then they will officially be tobacco products. Until that happens electronic cigarettes are kind of in limbo.

 

[damthisisfun]

At my job your insurance premium is the same no matter how many kids you have - now that dont make sense = more kids more doctor visits more claims - but no - nothing makes sense - only vaping does - lol

 

[Lbox88]

LOL, What the heck?

 

[GIMike]

Let's all move to canada, no more worries then

Somebody should write a letter to them:

"Dear Canada,

The population of the U.S. would like to help boost your economy by sending you 100,000 vapers to add to your workforce. Our only condition is that you must relax your policies on regulating the e-cig.

Your neighbor, USA"

 

[HawkeyeFLA]

Next its going to be Body Mass Index. *snipped*

BMI is already being used by some companies. Tho the one I work for uses it in a bit of a reverse way. Every year we do a biometric screening (voluntary) and if the BMI is in the healthy range we get a bonus in January. Same for blood pressure. If it's in the healthy range, boom, there's another bonus. Add on to that the fact that my health insurance is already INSANE cheap. (Don't ask ... you'll weep)

 

[zuzette]

When you boil it all down insurance is just legalized gambling and even then they cheat by stacking the odds heavily in their favor. We'll never have a good healthcare system in this country mainly because of insurance.An overhaul of the complete system would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs.

actually real reform could enable us to hire MORE people.....and expand on quality care. what people dont really want to give up are the profits and the small sharing pool the current system has created. who wants 5% of the pie when you currently have 15% of the pie?

 

[Titanium]

Effective January 1, 2013.....they say due to rising costs in heathcare, yada yada...there is now going to be a monthly nicotine surcharge of $30.00. Now it's automatically going to be added, so you have to go online and answer yes or no. But the yes or no supposedly says...smoker/tobacco user or non-smoker/no tobacco user. I have to sign in at work and see if that is really says just that. It doesn't mention anything else about nicotine use. I got the heads up from another worker and I asked the benefit people, and they said if you use nicotine then there is the charge.
Now I have no problem saying I'm a non smoker, really I don't. I don't smoke, vaping 2 years. If that question to answer is literal smoke or non smoke then my conscience is clear for me what I answer. I just have between now and January 1st to maybe give up some flavors I enjoy (American Spirit) and it includes now and then WTA. Doesn't say anything about testing, but I do want to be honest here. Go to zero nic, which was my intention when I started but stress got to me and I'm back up to 18-24mg.
Of course I am really po'd at this, smoker or not. Because where will it end? Smokers are easy targets...they aren't putting a surcharge (no offense to anyone) for obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes type 2, etc. What about unprotected sex (happily married), do I sign a waiver for that too? ok, that part being sarcastic, but makes you think doesn't it?
I can get on a crusade, as my daughter would say, and really got into this, but at this time how much of a crusade? They could make changes for the worse between now and Jan 1st, really worse, I know them it would not be better. I know of 2 others at work that vape (not in my department though) and of course the smokers are talking about switching (yeah) and back to asking me questions..I'm okay with that too.
Ok I vented, but would appreciate anyone to chime in with your thoughts.

Wow
Just wow.

 

[JENNIFER_GAIL]

I am a newb here, but I have worked in the healthcare industry for many years. I am also a pulmonary patient (lung damage as a result of chemicals at work) anyhooo, my doctor is OCD about me smoking and he is actually the one that turned me onto vaping. Of course his idea didn't include delicious flavors, he wanted me to use an FDA approved nicotine inhaler..... but that is beside the point. I routinely get tested for my blood oxygen level which is what tests if you have been smoking... it never test for nic, just the carbon monoxide in your bloodstream. I am by no means an expert, but I really don't see any company sending employees in to have this test done. It is extremely painful and if my employer told me to have it done I would tell them to kiss it. My pulmonologist is now ecstatic that I have quit smoking, I am breathing better and don't have to take as many prescriptions or see him as often. Shouldn't that be the point of vaping, that you are quitting something that is inevitably going to kill you?

Sorry for the rant, this whole thing just irritates me.

 

[Titanium]

I am a newb here, but I have worked in the healthcare industry for many years. I am also a pulmonary patient (lung damage as a result of chemicals at work) anyhooo, my doctor is OCD about me smoking and he is actually the one that turned me onto vaping. Of course his idea didn't include delicious flavors, he wanted me to use an FDA approved nicotine inhaler..... but that is beside the point. I routinely get tested for my blood oxygen level which is what tests if you have been smoking... it never test for nic, just the carbon monoxide in your bloodstream. I am by no means an expert, but I really don't see any company sending employees in to have this test done. It is extremely painful and if my employer told me to have it done I would tell them to kiss it. My pulmonologist is now ecstatic that I have quit smoking, I am breathing better and don't have to take as many prescriptions or see him as often. Shouldn't that be the point of vaping, that you are quitting something that is inevitably going to kill you?

Sorry for the rant, this whole thing just irritates me.

The whole point of vaping is to help you quit smoking.
So yeah.
And your "rant" isn't even close to a rant.

 

[SissySpike]

I would have no problem lieing to an insurance company I try to be very honest and above board in most every thing I do but Insurance company's are corrupt they have caused way more harm than good! They influence our Pathetic sell out politicians to make the rules to get your money. They are a major reason in our out of control health care! They will lie cheat and steel to take and keep your money so I have no problem keeping the playing field level.

Dont bring a knife to a gun fight! If your dealing with liars and cheats you'd better be prepared to do the same or you will lose every time!!!!!

 

[tommy2bad]

I routinely get tested for my blood oxygen level which is what tests if you have been smoking... it never test for nic, just the carbon monoxide in your bloodstream. I am by no means an expert, but I really don't see any company sending employees in to have this test done.

No, it's not. Insurance companies test for Cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine.Nicotine stays in the blood for several hours, up to 48 hours to be precise. After this it cannot be detected in the blood or urine. However, the metabolite of nicotine w Cotinine leaves its traces in blood as well as in urine for up to 7 days.
They have good reason too, up till ecigs nic was an indicator of using some quiting medication, statistical near enough guaranteed to fail so even someone declaring themselves a non smoker but using patches or gum would eventually relapse and they would be in fact insuring a smoker.
Insurance companies also use smoking as an indicator of risk prone behavior. Smokers are more likely to engage in high risk behavior and they factor this into the calculation.
Untill ecigs are proven to remove the very high risk that smoking presents, we have to suck it up. Oh and insurance premiums are based on 50 to 70 years of actuary factors. It will be some time before ecigs are considered a low risk. I don't see them ever being classes as never smoking or non smoking.

 

[DC2]

I routinely get tested for my blood oxygen level which is what tests if you have been smoking... it never test for nic, just the carbon monoxide in your bloodstream. I am by no means an expert, but I really don't see any company sending employees in to have this test done. It is extremely painful and if my employer told me to have it done I would tell them to kiss it.

Just to be clear, you're saying the carbon monoxide test is extremely painful?

 

[zapped]

I would have no problem lieing to an insurance company I try to be very honest and above board in most every thing I do but Insurance company's are corrupt they have caused way more harm than good! They influence our Pathetic sell out politicians to make the rules to get your money. They are a major reason in our out of control health care! They will lie cheat and steel to take and keep your money so I have no problem keeping the playing field level.

Dont bring a knife to a gun fight! If your dealing with liars and cheats you'd better be prepared to do the same or you will lose every time!!!!!

Pharmaceutical companies are ridiculous as well.I used to work in a very exclusive fine dining restaurant where they would book parties, usually in June before the end of the fiscal year. We'd end up charging them double what we charged everyone else, 50 dollars a plate so the doctors could bring in their girlfriends (no way these were their wives, were talking 30-40 years younger) and show them a video on a new drug while getting them all liquored up and giving a sales pitch.

It was great for us because the drug reps would always tip us double saying they had to use all the money so they could get matching funds the next year but I couldnt help but think how that kind of irresponsible spending is a major part of why prescription drug costs are through the roof.

 

[mecocina]

Effective January 1, 2013.....they say due to rising costs in heathcare, yada yada...there is now going to be a monthly nicotine surcharge of $30.00. Now it's automatically going to be added, so you have to go online and answer yes or no. But the yes or no supposedly says...smoker/tobacco user or non-smoker/no tobacco user. I have to sign in at work and see if that is really says just that. It doesn't mention anything else about nicotine use. I got the heads up from another worker and I asked the benefit people, and they said if you use nicotine then there is the charge.
Now I have no problem saying I'm a non smoker, really I don't. I don't smoke, vaping 2 years. If that question to answer is literal smoke or non smoke then my conscience is clear for me what I answer. I just have between now and January 1st to maybe give up some flavors I enjoy (American Spirit) and it includes now and then WTA. Doesn't say anything about testing, but I do want to be honest here. Go to zero nic, which was my intention when I started but stress got to me and I'm back up to 18-24mg.
Of course I am really po'd at this, smoker or not. Because where will it end? Smokers are easy targets...they aren't putting a surcharge (no offense to anyone) for obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes type 2, etc. What about unprotected sex (happily married), do I sign a waiver for that too? ok, that part being sarcastic, but makes you think doesn't it?
I can get on a crusade, as my daughter would say, and really got into this, but at this time how much of a crusade? They could make changes for the worse between now and Jan 1st, really worse, I know them it would not be better. I know of 2 others at work that vape (not in my department though) and of course the smokers are talking about switching (yeah) and back to asking me questions..I'm okay with that too.
Ok I vented, but would appreciate anyone to chime in with your thoughts.

Wow Div that sucks. I haven't had that happen yet with my health insurance but I'll be armed and prepared if it should.

 

[JENNIFER_GAIL]

Just to be clear, you're saying the carbon monoxide test is extremely painful?

The test that is done on me, a needle is stuck into the main artery in your wrist or elbow... under the nerve. It is an ABG or Arterial Blood Gas test and it is extremely painful. I can never lie and say I haven't smoked a cig because they will know. And yes, it is the most painful test I have had done thus far.