Company fires all employees who smoke!

[Asher]

Originally posted by rah
You said it again, DIAGNOSED, by whom, Doctors. If you don't see the doctor you can't be diagnosed. If you don't get it diagnosed until their are obvious symptoms, it's usually too late and your treatment cost is actually cheaper.

What does this have to do with smokers in particular?

[rah]

As I said previoiusly, (if you had bothered to read) I stated that most smokers avoid seeing doctors because they don't like the lectures. If you don't see a doctor, you're not likely to be diagnosed with something.

My father-in-law didn't smoke, and he had two years of extensive treatment prior because he went to the doctor religiously and had treatment for everything under the sun.

My aunt who smoked, wasn't diagnosed with lung cancer till only a month before her death, because she refused to see doctors.

Her medical costs were 1/100 of my father in law.

These types of things are not that uncommon.

The only source for info on this is insurance companies.
Do you believe everything they say.

[Asher]

Here's a question: You're a smoker, are you going to avoid going to the doctor?

[rah]

Yes, I do. It's not good. But I am guilty of it also.

So maybe there's some truth in what i say.

[Asher]

Such people who do not care for their health are probably not very fit to work for a health care company...

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by rah
Yes, I do. It's not good. But I am guilty of it also.

So maybe there's some truth in what i say.

But that makes you a greater liability in the eyes of an insurance company, you know. That's why most insurance companies require their people to have yearly check ups. Prevantative medicine is far less costly for them in the long run than just hoping smokers won't go see a doctor.

While many smokers may avoid doctors, the enormous costs of treating the ones who do not and who have cancer or other health problems more than makes up for any such issue. Cancer medicine costs are quite enormous.

You may not go to the doctor now, but if 10 years from now you discover you have lung cancer and get treated for it under your insurance plan, the costs of that treatment will quickly and easily negate any "savings" done by your not seeing a doctor regularly today. It will likely make the healthcare costs of your wife and children look like small potatoes.

[Japher]

Such people who do not care for their health are probably not very fit to work for a health care company...

Hey!!!!!!!!!

I agree with Rah

What if a company didn't want to hire ppl with families, because it costs more to cover their dependents than it would if they were single?

Would kind of have to suck to remedy that problem now.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Japher
What if a company didn't want to hire ppl with families, because it costs more to cover their dependents than it would if they were single?

Would kind of have to suck to remedy that problem now.

If it's a private company in an at-will state, why the hell not?

Private organizations have been allowed to discriminate forever, it's just a bigger issue now that it's targetting a fairly large part of the population at one company.

1) Smoking is stupid. Stupid.
2) The company gave 2 years notice and provided assistance in getting smokers to quit -- the majority did quit
3) Smoking is very, very stupid.
4) Smoking is a personal choice
5) Smoking is known to drastically increase rates for cancer, which is incredibly expensive to treat
6) More expensive treatments made by a stupid decision will raise insurance premiums
7) Companies are, in effect, increasing the cost of paying for health care as a result of their employee's stupid decision
8) In an at-will state, the company should therefore be able to terminate employees who are increasing their cost through stupid decisions.

[Imran Siddiqui]

And the health cost thing may be a smoke screen.

Yep, I speculated that myself. Just some reason to perhaps justify the decision. Probably just they don't like smokers. As I said, you can charge smokers more with a bone fide welfare program.

[rah]

1) Overeating is stupid. Stupid.
2) For two year people went on diets and then gained the weight back
3) Overeating is very, very stupid.
4) Overeating is a personal choice
5) Overeating is known to drastically increase rates for heart attacks, which is incredibly expensive to treat
6) More expensive treatments made by a stupid decision will raise insurance premiums
7) Companies are, in effect, increasing the cost of paying for health care as a result of their employee's stupid decision
8) In an at-will state, the company should therefore be able to terminate employees who are increasing their cost through stupid decisions.

And you can substitute other words too like drinking. Unless you do it to all, it's discriminating.

I've read that it's more expensive to treat black females during their lifetime. I guess it would be OK to fire them too.

And as I stated, it's not always more expensive, they live shorter.

I've tried to quit many times, but have never made it over two months. Trying patches, drugs, hypnotism. If you think that's totally choice once started, you're just ignorant. But we already knew that.

[Japher]

While we're at it lets just not allow women to work at all.

I mean it.

You hire them. They get pregnant and go on leave for 4 months, and you still have to pay them!? Then, they decide they don't want to work, they want to stay home and take care of the baby... Yet, you just paid them to have a kid!!!

[Mrs. Tuberski]

I hear all this talk about smokers and insurance I know first hand experience that insurance doesnt cover smoking cesssation materials and yet they preach the quit smoking s*** !!! F*** for all my money and aggrevation it seems easier to just light the dam cig and go on with life. Hell after a 6 hour surgery and standing opn my feet listening to a whiney ass doc I need that smoke. Not to mention A few cold beers to relax.

[Tuberski]

While we are at it, let's fire all women since they get a lot of breast cancer, Motorcyclists because they get a lot of head injuries, and gays because they are gay.

At-will state remember.

Part of those "higher healthcare costs" are the result of the companies themselves.

Think about it:

We want our building to be non-smoking, so let's make all the smokers, who increase our healthcare costs go out into the 0 degree weather to smoke their cigarettes.

That will lower costs, since inclement weather is good for you.

ACK!

[Mrs. Tuberski]

Yeah I know I catch a Cold every winter since I want to smoke and have to go outside and its 28 degrees and snowing. I do have respect for non smokers too I try to not smoke around them. But on that same note do they show any token of gratitude hell no .

[Tuberski]

You know baby, you could have just leaned over and told me that.



ACK!