Additional taxes on soft drinks may lower health insurance rates
A new report published by the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that adding state taxes to the cost of soft drinks may not only lead to fewer health problems, but also cut the amount of money spent to cover those medical issues through Medicare and Medicaid programs.
A new report published by the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that adding state taxes to the cost of soft drinks may not only lead to fewer health problems, but also cut the amount of money spent to cover those medical issues through Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Many studies referenced in the report explicitly linked the consumption of soft drinks to weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes among other illnesses. One Nurses’ Health study that followed 88,520 women found that the risk of coronary heart disease among those who consumed one serving of sugar-sweetened beverages per day increased by 23 percent when compared to those who consumed less than one serving per month.
Additionally, having two servings or more per day increased the risk by 35 percent.
The study also found that medical care associated with obesity cost an estimated $147 billion, accounting for 9.1percent of U.S. health care expenditures, and that half of the costs were paid through Medicare and Medicaid.
The taxes proposed in the survey, which would either add an excise tax of one cent per ounce for beverages that have any added caloric sweetener or tax beverages that “exceed a threshold of grams of added caloric sweetener or of kilocalories per ounce,” would allegedly reduce caloric intake by up to two percent per year and have a “marked impact on health in all age groups.”
Learn how easy and convenient shopping for health insurance can be. Get your free health insurance quotes today!
Posted: September 18, 2009
Related Health Insurance Articles
- Pelosi stumps for health care reform, still pushes for public option September 17, 2009
- Survey: Health insurance premiums rising faster than employee wages September 16, 2009
- Census: 2008 saw drop in median income along with rise in uninsured Americans September 11, 2009
- Pennsylvania Insurance commissioner proposed health care reforms for Congress to consider. September 10, 2009
- Obama hopes to win support on health care reform with primetime address September 9, 2009
- Arizona to cut 10,000 parents from state health care coverage September 8, 2009
- Proposed California bill would keep 700,000 needy children insured September 3, 2009
- States take action to guarantee workers receive insurance benefits without falling victim to workplace fraud. August 28, 2009
- NAIC: healthcare reform is needed August 26, 2009
- Report: healthcare costs to rise 10.5 percent in next 12 months August 26, 2009
- Reduce sugar intake to lower health risks, and maybe your insurance costs as well August 26, 2009
