Arizona’s Unhealthy Fine

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is considering fining patients $50 per year if patients engage in unhealthy behaviors and ignore medical advice, such as quitting smoking or losing weight in order to control diabetes. According to Monica Coury, a spokeswoman for the AHCCCS, the fines would help the government control health care costs while promoting a healthier lifestyle for patients. Coury says, “We want to be able to provide health care to people. And we want to stretch our dollars as far as we can. Part of that is engaging people to take better care of themselves.”