Ambulances start charging extra for obese patients

[Raven's Nest]

This would really depend if there was an underlying medical condition which made them obese or whether they were obese through their own efforts.

It is more or less the same as charging drunk drivers for their inevitable hospital bills.

Genetics plays a part in how quickly people lose and gain weight but it's not like it happens uncontrollably. When was the last time working out and eating right solved a medical condition?

Less. Much less. actually it's not really the same thing. Going to the hospital and being charged more because you're obese isn't the same as getting drunk and being charged for a hospital bill. Drunks aren't harder to get into an ambulance.

Nope, but drunks create the problem that requires the ambulance. Resources have to be diverted from other services to solve the problem - a problem that is avoidable. Most obesity is the same. It is simply caused by people eating too much and not doing enough excersise. This then makes problems which impacts upon the lives of people who eat sensibly and do keep their weight reasonable.

Yes, curse those fat people for giving us more space on public transportation and in cinemas!...

When they aren't around anyway...

 

[LeonLethality]

hmmm maybe have a huge body builder in every ambulance?

 

[VanityGirl]

Well, obesity does cause higher health costs. There's no doubting or even debating this fact. Whether or not it's genetic is not the issue. The issue here is that someone who weighs 1,000 lbs expects the same treatment (and payment plan) as someone who is of average weight.

I think the obese SHOULD have to pay extra. Mainly because the EMT's need to pay for special equipment and vehicles to transport the people.


And once agian, it's not just in the US. Many countries, Mexico (2nd), the UK (which is 3rd in obesity), are both having this problem.


Also, someone said something about buses being altered to fat kids... I've never heard of that. Sounds like a rumor to me, but I don't know for sure.

 

[VanityGirl]

The ambulances that must pick up and move the obese patients must be specially equipped if they want to easily and safely move them. Of course, some people of the community believe this is just another way of discriminating against those who are obese.

People who complain about obese people's rights should wake the fuck up. It's not like race, gender or sexual orientation which you can do nothing about; The fat person is fat by their own fault (I know there's a condition that always makes you hungry, but it's RARE). They also need to realise that stuff like this has nothing to do with discrimination... It's a FACT that moving black, white, male, female, gay or not is all the same whereas a 400lb person is much harder.

I wouldn't say it's ALWAYS there fault, like my cousin who has an overactive thyroid. She is overweight, but not obese. I think obesity is generally a problem that the person themselves cause, but saying that all "Fat" people brought it on themselves is a rather rash statement.
Obesity is probably the fault of the person (in most cases), yes.
Being fat (or overweight) isn't always the fault of the person.

I won't defend further than this because I do believe that someone who eat 11,000 calories a day deserves obesity.

 

[Steelfists]

Pretty much.

I mean, you can call it a health condition all you like, but at the end of the day it's really, really not.

EDIT: But yeah guys. If you do get a health service like us Brits do, look at all the wonderful things you'll be spending your money on.

Better yet are the smokers who get new lungs bought for them with NHS money then smoke those away, too.

Lungs are hugeley valuable. There is no way that the NHS would give someone lungs who would continue to smoke without someone seriously fucking up.

Someone who would even consider doing so, after they have NEW FUCKING LUNGS should be removed from the genepool.

 

[Desert Tiger]

Pretty much.

I mean, you can call it a health condition all you like, but at the end of the day it's really, really not.

EDIT: But yeah guys. If you do get a health service like us Brits do, look at all the wonderful things you'll be spending your money on.

Better yet are the smokers who get new lungs bought for them with NHS money then smoke those away, too.

Lungs are hugeley valuable. There is no way that the NHS would give someone lungs who would continue to smoke without someone seriously fucking up.

Someone who would even consider doing so, after they have NEW FUCKING LUNGS should be removed from the genepool.

Welcome to why the NHS is screwed up.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

Pretty much.

I mean, you can call it a health condition all you like, but at the end of the day it's really, really not.

EDIT: But yeah guys. If you do get a health service like us Brits do, look at all the wonderful things you'll be spending your money on.

Better yet are the smokers who get new lungs bought for them with NHS money then smoke those away, too.

[CITATION NEEDED]

Spending money on saving lives and improving the quality of life for sick people (whether they are sick through their own behaviour or not), is a pretty wonderful thing to spend money on in my opinion.

 

[GundamSentinel]

are they genetically fat or is it self-induced?

Is there even such a thing as genetically fat? Were there genetically fat people in medieval times? Ancient Egypt? Stone age? Must be a genetic change induced by WOII chemicals...

Nah, have the fatties pay for their ride. I've heard reports of people trying to run cars on human fat. Maybe that's an idea.

 

[HentMas]

If they have to buy special equipement to lift an obese person safely onto an amublance sure, its a way of avoiding a law suit, and if you need to use that equipment then you have to pay the price.

considering that in the US they sue for everything, i think the ambulance service are just covering their asses, considering that a fat guy with a broken neck could get killed by moving him AND they cant do it in the propper way and the right circumstances because of the lack of eq, they are assuring them they will be able to take care of everyone even if they are fat

now if they kill one accidentally, then all hell will break lose

EDIT: this is in the US right??

 

[ace_of_something]

Ummm can we say unfair? For example my brother is 6'8" and about 300lbs. I'm sure he's very difficult to move. But he's only 'overweight' not obese and actually he like all my family are very wide shouldered and solidly built so other the pot belly that most men approaching 40 have he's fine.

On that thought, are they going to start charging us tall people? It's not bad enough we are very limited in our selection of cars. I'm sure many of the challanges us tall folk face the rotund face as well.

I sympathize with the obese. I am tall and wide they are really really round. It's almost the same thing.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

are they genetically fat or is it self-induced?

Is there even such a thing as genetically fat? Were there genetically fat people in medieval times? Ancient Egypt? Stone age? Must be a genetic change induced by WOII chemicals...

Nah, have the fatties pay for their ride. I've heard reports of people trying to run cars on human fat. Maybe that's an idea.

There are medical conditions that cause people to be overweight, as well as that there some drugs might have side effects that will increase your weight.

Having said that, the majority of obesity is caused by the condition known as "I FUCKING LOVE PIE!", which is not really much of an excuse.

 

[bug_chaser]

People are fat because they eat too much and exercise too little. There are various predisposing conditions, some more common than others, that make it difficult to eat right and exercise, but at the end of the day it's basic physics: if you consume more calories than you utilize, you will store the remainder. And I for one don't want to find my insurance premiums or copays going up because it takes a block-and-tackle to tackle some blocky guy into the ambulance.

That said, this does seem awfully reactive. How about a real effort at making public policies designed to reduce the rate of obesity in the first place? It's not like the drain obese people put on the medical system stops at the end of the ambulance ride.

 

[bug_chaser]

the majority of obesity is caused by the condition known as "I FUCKING LOVE PIE!", which is not really much of an excuse.

What if it's really good pie?

 

[siege_1302]

On reflection, if you order a package the courier will charge extra for weight. It should be the same with ambulances. Also planes.

United Airlines is way ahead of you on that one. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/17/earlyshow/living/travel/main4952134.shtml]

It's all coming into place...

the majority of obesity is caused by the condition known as "I FUCKING LOVE PIE!", which is not really much of an excuse.

What if it's really good pie?

Then it's worth the extra ambulance fee for being so damn fat.

 

[Ryuk2]

It's about time...

 

[MiodekPL]

Good idea IMHO It costs heavy dollars to equip ambulances, and it's just obvious that in whole it weights more.

 

[PumpActionJesus]

I dont want to have too many fat people on the same plane as me increasing the fuel cost and such.


Better yet, lets just be rid of overweight people.
What do they ever contribute to society !?

*grabs pitchfork*

 

[Steelfists]

Pretty much.

I mean, you can call it a health condition all you like, but at the end of the day it's really, really not.

EDIT: But yeah guys. If you do get a health service like us Brits do, look at all the wonderful things you'll be spending your money on.

Better yet are the smokers who get new lungs bought for them with NHS money then smoke those away, too.

Lungs are hugeley valuable. There is no way that the NHS would give someone lungs who would continue to smoke without someone seriously fucking up.

Someone who would even consider doing so, after they have NEW FUCKING LUNGS should be removed from the genepool.

Welcome to why the NHS is screwed up.

Are you saying lung trasnplant patients regularly continue smoking and destroy their new lungs?

 

[DigitalSushi]

ya i could see this and let me tell you im a lifeguard and its very difficult to get someone who weighs more than two hundered pounds on to a back board

I weigh more than 200 pounds, and I AM NOT OBESE!.

While I am in favour of a fat tax and turning the ambulance service into a taxi business for fat people, I want Ryai458 to start working out just in case I ever drown.