SolveYourProblem Article Series:
Health Insurance

Obese People Have Higher Insurance Premiums
    

The increasing rise of obesity is too significant for the health care industry to ignore anymore. These insurers needed to make sure their obese clients were charged premiums that reflected the risk they presented. With the extra burned of illness and disease in the obese population, it a must cost-wise to charge then as a high-risk group. Unlike averaged weight people who have less medical needs, the obese population has a much higher rate for developing severe disorders and diseases that require costly and on-going treatments. The amount of money paid out by the insurance companies for obese individuals reflects the cost of all consumers policies. It really isn’t fair to the people who are at a lower risk to pay more for their policy just to make up the difference in the insurer’s cost to take on these high-risk people. The cost needs to lie in the hands of the individuals who make this lifestyle choice. Just as smokers do, obese people should have to pay more for indulging in a risky lifestyle that promotes disease and illness.

Recent estimates say that up to 20 percent of men and 25 percent of women are obese today. The numbers of people who are obese have been increasing between two and three-fold during the past 20 years. The trend has yet to stop. If left unmanaged the cost of health care will be even more outrageous than it is now. Most insurers now use the BMI, body mass index, to find out what group to put their client’s in when giving them policy quotes. This index divides a persons weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared and measures the percent of body fat. Over 30 percent is considered obese and would qualify you for a high-risk plan in the future. Being severely overweight can really mess up your chances of getting a good medical policy. Weight could also keep you from switching policies in the future. If you have several disorders and weight related diseases, you could be classified as having pre-existing conditions and not be covered for any of them even if you were accepted.

Obesity in America has risen to epidemic proportions. With the ease of the fast food industry and people being “too busy” to eat right at home and exercise the weight increase is insane. Nearly sixty percent of all American adults and thirteen percent of their children are obese today, and the numbers are continuing to rise. More than 300,000 Americans die each year from illnesses or diseases that were worsened or caused out right by obesity. It is these very illnesses and diseases that scare the insurers about giving individual health policies to obese applicants. It is know that obesity causes or worsens more than thirty known medical conditions. These include such things as breast cancer and other cancers, cardiovascular diseases, lung and breathing issues, and diabetes to name a few. This means the insurer will have to pay out multitudes of claims over many years just for one obese person.

For the obese person high cholesterol and even high blood pressure put them at a high-risk for denial of a policy or insane premiums. It is said by insurers that it is the sickest one percent of policyholders that dominates 40-50% of all claims. The more obese person’s getting medical insurance at normal prices will in turn push that number well above 100. This why individual insurers are very picky when it comes to renew time. The sickest of patients either get denied or their premiums rise considerably. It will most likely be here soon that more insurance companies will screen and set premiums on BMI as well as their current criteria. This is easy to confirm with a doctor and it easy to figure out.

In addition, this will just be one more added thing to the application that makes or breaks a person getting coverage. There is help and ways to prevent this from happening to you, help your self. If you know you are overweight and have poor lifestyle habits, change them. Eat better and take in fewer calories. Make sure you make time to exercise because this is just good for your overall health as it for weight loss. If you are severely overweight or obese, talk with your current doctor on the best plan for you to lose this weight and follow his or her advice. Talk to your current insurer and see what they will help cover for you to become healthier and less of a liability. The broker might increase your chances of acceptance at renew time if they see you are trying to improve your health and are making progress. In the long term, lifestyle changes will improve your chances of obtaining individual health insurance, not to mention the health benefits you'll experience.

Click here to to view health insurance quotes, compare plans side-by-side and apply for the most affordable health insurance within your budget. I did this myself (June 17, 2011) to change my health insurance policy. Saved me $84 per month (or $1,008 per year). It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation.

# # # # #

by SolveYourProblem.com : 2006

> Home > Health Insurance: Main Page