Health Insurance Survey from Canada

LAVAL, QUE - A majority of Canadian employees surveyed believe people who engage in unhealthy habits should pay more for their healthcare coverage.



In an Ipsos-Reid poll of 1,500 employees with supplementary health programs, 54 per cent said the cost of employee health benefit plans should be higher for employees who smoke, don't exercise or are seriously overweight. The survey was commissioned by Sanofi-Aventis, the world's third-largest pharmaceutical company.



Around 70 per cent of the respondents said that employees who do not smoke should pay less for coverage.



About 63 per cent agreed the government should promote healthy living by providing tax credits or deductions for personal gym memberships or recreational fees.



Almost 70 per cent said they'd be willing to pay a small fee – such as $5 – for some publicly funded services, if the money were invested in services such as home or community care, palliative care or costly drugs.



The survey suggests services people would be willing to pay for include a visit to the emergency room, to the doctor's office, or for a day in the hospital.