If the number of smokers has steadily declined why has the price of health care steadily gone up?

Question

Could it be insurance company profits? Blaming smokers for health care costs is stupid.

Answer 1

I personally doubt that the rise of health care has gone up due to smokers. Many people in New Hampshire (where I live) cannot afford health insurance. Many people have to go into debt because of the cost of health care and they cannot afford to pay their bills.

Because of the fact that 1/3 of people filing bankruptcy is due to medical expenses, the health care industry needs to supplement the pay of their services. So basically, it is a vicious cycle that will only continue getting worse.

Answer 2

For one thing that one whiff of cigarette smoke you smelled when you were six months old may not bring on lung cancer until you are 107 years old.

Seriously, many illnesses, diseases, and conditions are delayed years or even decades after the exposure that is blamed for them (and I sometimes doubt the validity of that blame). Add increased longevity and the resulting growth in the number of senior citizens and I think you will arrive at some semblance of an answer. I am among the older of the baby boomers and with my age combined with exposure to many things now banned as well as time and exposure to chemicals in Vietnam, I consider myself and many others to be ticking time bombs.

Hospitals are sinfully expensive to operate. Diagnostic equipment must be kept current if you are to receive the kind of care you deserve. Much of the cost of drugs is used in R&D for new drugs. In today’s world just the cost of lighting the parking lot is a significant drain.

One final thought, the cost of health care is an aggregate of many things. Not the least of which is malpractice insurance and litigation expenses. I'm not trying to defend anyone here, just trying to give you some idea of where the money goes...

And YES, the insurance companies make enough money to stay in business and attract many many investors. Some think they make too much but I am a capitalist and believe in free trade. I have changed insurance companies several times in search of a policy better suited to my needs and budget. As it stands right now I should be able to maintain private insurance throughout my retirement and final moments on this Earth.

I hope that sheds some light, at least from one perspective.

Answer 3

Because it was a lie. Anyone who can do math knows that taxing smokers more to get money for healthcare, while promoting anti smoking campaigns will not make them more money. People stop smoking and tax money stops coming in. It was a chance for the industry to use a group of people to cover up the wasted spending the industry has no intention of stopping. The administration has more money for their own personal fortunes and luxury living while the rest of us watch our premiums go up and hope we don't lose our jobs so we can see a doctor or dentist when we need to. Illegal aliens are another reason. They have no coverage so we pay for it. The problem is so far out of control. We need to demand as a nation that the industry fix itself or be taken over by the government by the people. No more obscene salaries. Maybe then they will go to work and not the golf course.

Answer 4

Theives- and drug cost go up because of higher pay to the people who make the medicine and the indgrediants I am sure cost a lot. Just the experiments to say if a drug is safe or not is a lot of money. The more drugs we want to fix everything the more expensive it will be.

Answer 5

agreed. Especially since those taxes on smokes are used for healthcare, yet smokers aren't guaranteed healthcare, and they pay higher premiums. Taxing BOTH ends.

Answer 6

the same way the price of everything else goes up