How Does Obesity Affect Your Health Insurance Premiums?

It’s estimated that over 50 million Americans are obese, which has caused past problems with obtaining health insurance. Obesity can lead to severe health conditions, such as Type 2 Diabetes and poor cardiovascular health. Many insurers do not consider obesity to be an illness, but they do pay for any resulting illnesses, which means that it costs more for an insurer to keep an obese individual as a customer due to the high risk of developing resulting illnesses. In the past, this meant extremely high insurance premiums for obese policyholders.

But obese individuals are in luck now. With the Affordable Car Act in force, many states are now covering obesity treatments as an essential health benefit, such as metabolic and bariatric surgery. Several more states are now covering weight-loss programs to treat the problem at its core. And wherever you live, you can now receive covered obesity screening and counseling, which involves intensive behavioral counseling and at least one prescription drug for the treatment of obesity. This coverage must now be offered for the same price as everyone else pays. There is no more differentiation in premiums based on weight. However, smokers can still expect to pay up to 50 percent more.

With these new resources now available, it’s never been easier to begin living healthier. Learning to make smart choices about food and exercise is the best way to trim down your waistline, improving your overall health and reducing the frequency of doctor visits. If you need a little help to get started, you’re encouraged to take advantage of the covered obesity counseling, which can provide you with the skills to lose weight and prepare healthy, tasty meals.

We’re here to support your goals for healthy living. Call Allen Harmon Insurance at (269) 441-5156 for more information on Battle Creek health insurance.