Fewer back higher premiums for unhealthy living

A poll also finds declining support for higher deductibles or co-pays for people who fail to meet certain health standards.

By Pamela Lewis Dolan, AMNews staff. Nov. 26, 2007.

A Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Healthcare Poll found that Americans are becoming more financially sympathetic to those with unhealthy lifestyles.

The early October survey of 2,267 U.S. adults found that the number of people who think it's fair to charge people with unhealthy lifestyles more for health insurance premiums fell from 53% last year to 37% this year. The same drop was seen among those who said it was fair for people with unhealthy lifestyles to pay higher deductibles or co-pays.

Paul Fronstin, director of health research and education programs for the Employee Benefit Research Institute, said he couldn't explain the changing attitudes.

While insurers for some time have charged higher rates for smokers on individual plans, employers have been slow to implement such rules, he said.

But more insurers, such as United HealthGroup, are developing group health plans that give healthier employees a cost break. For example, PreferredOne, a Minnesota health plan, started a new policy earlier this year that offers lower premiums for healthy people, based on blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol levels and other wellness indicators.

And a few employers have banned smoking outright -- even at home. Others assess extra monthly charges for employees who fail to meet certain health levels, or who refuse to participate in stop-smoking or weight-loss programs.