a very big and profound psychological impact

A new and controversial idea from the Arizona Medicaid program is is to charge overweight individuals and smokers $50 annually. We actually reckon that this idea is a pretty good one not because it is going to make much difference to the health care budget of the state of Arizona but because it will have a very big and profound psychological impact on people who are made to pay it.

At Ukmedix News We've written lots about how obesity not only costs the country you live in a huge amount in increased health care and lost productivity but it also has a direct impact on the pocket of the overweight individual.

Charging overweight people extra to get health care is considered controversial because it goes against the idea that all people have the right to treatment at the same price irrespective of whether we are healthy are not. The idea from the State of Arizona to just charge $50 is clever because it isn't very much but at the same time it reminds overweight people that they are a financial burden not only on the healthcare system but also themselves and their families.

This idea will have to go through various legal hurdles and be endorsed by the Federal U.S. government and it may well fail on the way. Private insurance companies often charge people more for health insurance but this would be the first time that a state health care program did the same.

Can you imagine the uproar in the UK if overweight people were made to pay just £50 yearly so that they could use the National Health Service? It wouldn't be the amount of money involved that would upset them but just a concept that they were being treated differently to normal weight people.

They would probably make just as much fuss if they were asked to pay £5 a year for NHS health care, but it would definitely make an impression on them and could encourage them to face the fact that being overweight or obese has negative consequences for everyone.