Percentage of Americans on medication

i_love_muscle said:
I think people who don't take their health seriously and refuse to take steps to improve their health issues should be required to pay at least triple the health care premiums that people who take care of themselves do.

These people the ones who will ultimately be burdening the health care system with their self-imposed medical issues. Why should responsible people have to pay for that?
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This is already partly true.

First, if you have private insurance and have any problem, including treatable and preventable problems e.g., smoking, obesity (usually), you already pay higher insurance.

Second, employers can refuse to higher you if it will raise the group rate.

Third, Alabama is gonna impose a higher insurance rate for their obese employees.
 
tjl said:
Note that total cholesterol by itself is not a very good indicator of heart disease risk, at least when it is in the common ranges. 167 TC with 25 HDL is a lot riskier than 167 TC with 80 HDL, for example.
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I had a clogged coronary artery in '06 necessitating a catheterization, angioplasty and stent and my total cholesterol was 165. Cardio who did the surgery said I had no obvious factors (weight, exercise activity, age, etc.). Then, I saw my dad's death certificate and the cause was atherosclerosis. Now, I am on Plavix and Lipitor for life. I don't question the value of Plavix. As for Lipitor and other statins, there is a lot of debate whether lowering the total C and especially LDL really lowers the risk of atherosclerosis,. The data suggest they do and there are a lot of folks in my predicament who gamble that the use of statins will not significantly lower the odds of atherosclerosis, but I am unwilling to take that gamble.
 
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