Advertisement

Letters: A fat tax to curb medical spending?

Share

Re “Spending likely to remain high,” Business, Sept. 8

The table with this article shows a clear correlation between healthcare costs per person and the rate of obesity. The U.S., at $8,233 per person and a 35.9% obesity rate, is the worst. Britain is at $3,433 and 26.1%; Germany is at $4,338 and 14.7%;Japan is at $3,035 and 3.5%.

How about a fat tax? Along with your annual income tax form you would be required to submit a list of all family members, with age, height and weight. If all family members were in the healthy range, you would pay no tax. The money collected would be “lock-boxed” into the Medicare budget.

Advertisement

Tom Hanson

Newhall

Medical costs will remain high until we have real tort reform. In an effort to protect ourselves from lawsuits, doctors must order extra tests, undertake scrupulous documentation and maintain strict sterile technique via disposable supplies, all of which drives up costs tremendously.

A good place to reverse this trend is in the courtroom. Let’s start by reducing jackpot awards.

David Rizzo

Bellflower

Advertisement

ALSO:

Letters: The meaning of Medicaid cuts

Letters: Romney the education radical?

Letters: Who’s in charges at the sheriff’s department?


Advertisement