PETA Calls For Higher Insurance Rates for Meat Eaters
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Ever the agent of controversy, PETA is at it again. The notorious animal rights activism group has requested that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont raise their health insurance rates for meat eaters (and drop rates for vegetarians). They base their request on studies showing that vegetarians have lower rates of many illnesses such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. PETA claims that this rate shift would save the insurance company money in the long term. A representative for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont stated that basing rates upon dietary habits is not allowed by state law.
As a vegetarian myself, I’d welcome a rate drop, but I know meat eaters and the meat industries wouldn’t let it happen without a fight. Besides, vegetarianism, though healthier for many people, is certainly not for everyone. I think PETA should spend less time on radical tactics that discriminate against certain groups and focus on encouraging people to reduce meat consumption and eat only meat which is ethically raised. But what’s your opinion?
Image: stu spivack
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5 Comments
November 17th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Sarah, I’ll have to agree with you about PETA. The insurance game isn’t the way to go. I do wish more energy was spent on getting better protections for consumers, including the ones who still don’t understand they’re safer with free-range, grass-fed animal products.
We can’t rely on the FDA.
November 18th, 2008 at 6:05 am
It’s just like everything else, you can not single out any particular group of people. If you lower Insurance for dietary habits, you would have to consider ALL lifestyle habits, IE; those who go to church on a regular basis are likely to lead a “safer” life than someone who goes Clubbing on a regular basis.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Well, they already have higher insurance rates for smokers, as it should be, since cigarette smoking is clearly proven to be harmful to health. I guess that’s the point PETA was trying to make: that eating meat is just as harmful. Although I’m vegetarian, I disagree. For many people, a conscious diet with moderate meat intake is very healthy.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:54 am
PETA is very absolutist and I don’t really like zealots, even when I think the cause is broadly good. Self righteousness is one of the greatest evils in this world.
Sarah’s comment above is spot on - it’s certainly not medically proven that a vegetarian diet is always healthier. It depends on everything else you eat - the meat is not the deciding factor.
And really what I think the United States needs is universal health care so arguing that health insurance companies should be even more punitive than they already are seems to be a step in the wrong direction. In the UK smokers get the same access to free treatment on the National Health Service as everyone else but this is partially funded by the high taxes they pay when they buy a packet of cigarettes.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I believe that vegetarianism can potentialy be just as unsafe as eating meat , if you are not consuming enough of the iron and protein that you would most normaly get from meat. I personaly eat meat, but not as much as most people. Just to keep up protein and iron and other essential nutrients that meat provides. I believe is natural, humans are made to be omnivores. We are not made to cruely slaughter animals and eat more thatn neccassary. PETA is wrong.
Go on, share your thoughts.