Generally, ObamaCare bars insurers from charging higher premiums for people with pre-existing conditions. But there is an exception, as John Tozzi writes in Businessweek: ...for the 19 percent of American adults who smoke: Insurance companies can charge them premiums as much as 50 percent higher than nonsmokers will pay. Not all insurers will squeeze smokers. Some states, including California, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, ban the practice. Even where it's allowed, insurance carriers may want to avoid alienating customers with higher premiums. Many are forgoing the surcharges or tacking on smaller fees than the federal law allows. Still, some health plans in at least eight states are charging tobacco users the maximum 50 percent extra, according to data gathered by ValuePenguin, an insurance comparison website, and analyzed by Bloomberg Businessweek. That group includes Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. Barack Obama has...(Read Full Post)