One Way to Bring Down Health Care Costs: Tax Cat Ownership

Prominent bioethicist Arthur Caplan has written this satirical piece explaining why a tax on cats would help cut health care costs (or at least place the health care costs associated with cat ownership where they belong: on the cat owners themselves!). As Caplan explains, allergies associated with cats impose enormous health care costs, and those costs are borne generally by society -- through private or public health insurance -- not cat owners. Caplan's point is that though taxing cat ownership to deal with cat-caused health-care costs seems like a far-fetched social policy, it is little different from taxing (or charging higher premiums to) overweight people for the same reason. Yet, the idea of requiring overweight people to bear their own health care costs is quite popular. In fact, as Caplan points out, a recent survey showed that a majority of U.K. doctors believe that smokers and obese people should be denied non-emergency treatment from the National Health Service.

Comments

[Simi Valley Veterinarian]

Cats allergies are caused by many reasons and it may affect humans also. This adds to the health care costs and thus we should find a way that will reduce these costs. But I do not get the point why it is linked with smoking and obesity. they are completely different issues and it is weird to link them with cat allergies.

[Suzie Castle]

Matthew,

I take it you do not agree with my comments, otherwise perhaps you might have responded to my comments more civilly. I am well aware what the authors intentions are. I do not suggest 3 year old are the cause of the allergies they suffer from. When humanity moves away from living according to the laws of nature, allergies among other health issues will present. It is my overall contention that we as a country should help people through education, policy and programs so that they can enjoy good health.

[Matthew B]

What a hysterical comment. Cat allergies are caused because "Americans and many people throughout the world purchase food that is not healthy"? If I only knew that when I was 3 years old, I would have told my wealthy parents and we all could have made better choices!! Please tell the medical community--I'm sure they would love to solve this riddle once and for all. (Ms. Castle, that is called sarcasm.)

And I don't think the attempted connection the SATIRICAL piece is trying to make is not that people with cat allergies are like smokers and the obese and therefore should be taxed, but rather that the cat OWNERS should be taxed for surreptitiously causing the people with cat allergies to suffer the medical costs associated with allergy and asthma treatment, which get passed on to society. It called "satire" because it's an exaggeration to make a point. Get it? Kind of a joke ... see?

[Suzie Castle]

One could consider so many ways to look at this. Cat allergies are not present in all humans. Why? Being allergic to cats is due to a degenerated immune system. But why? Americans and many people throughout the world purchase food that is not healthy. Some know better and can afford better, but some are poor and purchase what they can afford. Then of course, we have to look at how food is grown in this country. Growing food with toxic pesticides on depleted soil with the addition of chemicals, antibiotics, hormones etc... I believe we when look more closely, we can see there is not a connection at all with cat allergies and smokers and obesity, so this piece is overly simplified.

I used to be of the thought that as long as one smokes and we have places like McDonald's and the like, then I am against universal health coverage. The poor though can get a caloricly dense meal at places like McDonald's and that is why some people choose to eat there. I think universal health coverage should be in place with an education program and policies in place that do not subsidize unhealthy food. Our school lunches, for example, are a dumping ground for poor quality food. We need a complete overhall of looking at how to protect our citizens health and it has to be comprehensive and free of corporate influence.