Healthy People Use Up More Health Care Dollars

[tangomonster]

I guess it's time to stop congratulating myself over being healthy (never smoked, eat well, exercise regularly, reasonable weight) and face the music that I'm undesirable to insurers not just because of my age but because of the good health:

Lifetime Health Care Costs Highest For Thin

It turns out that unhealthy people like smokers may cost more initially in health care at a younger age, but then someone who lives a long time, even healthfully for most of the time, will cost more over their longer lifetime.....

So does this mean I shouldn't go exercise this afternoon and that I can have a pint of high-fat ice cream tonight---all with the intent of limiting my health care spending?

[CCdaCE]

I wonder if the study takes into account the time value of money.

It's like saying brushing your teeth costs you more in the long run instead of letting your teeth rot out and going to dentures ASAP. No teeth? No more 6 month checkups, no cost of floss, etc. Doesn't make sense.

-CC

[Midpack]

I'm realize your post was tongue in cheek, but I have to call BS on the "article" written by someone with an agenda and lots of bad data. There are so many ways to pick this one apart, but just one: Their numbers work out to $4,964 per year for thin and healthy, $4,638/yr for obese and $4,234/yr for smokers. That would have to mean that the incidence of more costly treatments associated with cancer (WRT smoker esp), heart disease, joint/back issues (WRT obesity) and the many corollary conditions that contribute to them would be higher for those who are thin and healthy. Or the end of life healthcare costs for the thin and healthy would have to be higher. Anyone believe any of that? We could go on but why bother...

[virginia]

Okay well - to state the obvious.

Money is not everything in life.

[youbet]

I'd suggest that to even things out monetarily, that once the "thin and healthy" have consumed as many health care dollars as the more short-lived obese and smoking crowd, that they simply be painlessly and humanely euthanized.