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Poll: Should Fat People Pay More for Health Insurance?
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(CBS) Should fat people pay extra for medical insurance?
That question is now the subject of hot debate in Germany, after a prominent German politician said that obese people should foot the bill for the extra health-care costs associated with their unhealthy lifestyles.
"It's legitimate to ask the question if the immense costs that are caused by the excessive consumption of food should continue to be paid for by everyone else," Marco Wanderlitz, a member of parliament said on Thursday, Reuters reported. "I think that it would be sensible if those who deliberately lead unhealthy lives would be held financially accountable for that."
Germany may be the home of bratwurst and strudel, but it's no secret that America is waging its own war on obesity and the costs of providing medical care for obesity-related illness.
In America, people get health insurance either from private insurers or the government - Medicare for seniors and Medicaid for the poor. For those with private insurance should they pay higher premiums? For those with government insurance, should they pay higher taxes?
What do you think? Weigh in.
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