As a smoker, I am not a burdon to the NHS. It's official

I am looking to take out a health insurance policy for me and Mrs Bucko. I dread the day I get a serious illness and have to rely on the NHS to fix me. Also, I keep saying the government has nothing to offer that I would want. Without private medical, this will never be completely true.

Earlier this evening I spoke to a sales guy. He went through all the policy details then asked if I had any questions.

I gave him my concerns and inquiries, then said, "Me and Mrs Bucko are both smokers. These days we are seen as evil people who will die a premature and horrible death at great expense to whoever has to care for us. You have not mentioned smoking. Why not?"

I just wanted to be sure there was no small print I had missed that said they won't pay for smoking related illnesses.

His response was both surprising an reassuring.

He said it's a health insurance policy, not a life insurance policy. They consider smoking to be a lifestyle choice and won't penalise us for it.

He then went on to say, in their experience a person who lives a healthy life and goes jogging every morning, is as likely to die from a heart attack at fifty, as a smoker who eats kebabs every day is likely to die at eighty of old age.

I'm sure this is not news to all you bloggers out ther who already have private medical insurance, but it took me by a bit of surprise.

After all, insurance is a risk business. Young drivers have to pay more car insurance than experienced drivers because they are percieved to be a greater risk, even if they are very sensible drivers. People with no home security pay more home insurance than people with a burglar alarm, even though burglar alarms are mostly ignored when they go off.

Ergo, you would think that people who put their health at risk would pay more health insurance. But the people that would actually have to pay for mine and Mrs Buckos cancer treatment, should we get it, do not consider us to be a risk.

Every day, as smokers, we get the righteous complaining that their tax pays for our treatment; That smokers are a burdon on the NHS; that even treatment should be denied to us smokers, yet the private health companies, people who must know what they are talking about do not see it that way.

So I have this to say to the anti smokers:
1) You are talking utter bollocks
2) I'm now paying for my own treatment anyway, so fuck off.
3) fuck off
4) No, really, fuck off.

Have a nice Friday evening.