Arizona Medicaid considers tax on smokers, obese
Saturday, April 2, 2011 - 18:00
in Health & Medicine
(AP) -- Arizona's cash-strapped Medicaid program is considering charging patients $50 a year if they smoke, have diabetes or are overweight. A spokeswoman for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System said Friday that the fee is intended to rein in health care costs by pushing patients to keep themselves healthy.