Fat tax levied on ambulance rides in Kansas

A little over a month ago Shawnee County, Kansas voted to raise the rates of ambulance rides for obese folks.

If you weigh 359lbs or below your trip in an American Medical Response ambulance will cost you $629 and the per mile cost will be $11.09 per mile. Gain a pound and your rate will jump 86% to $1,172 and your per mile rate will rise 44% to $16.00 per mile.

Ken Keller, the director of American Medical Response Topeka division states it's not discrimination but rather it's to help pay for additional equipment and manpower.

So Ken, who else should pay more? Maybe quadriplegics and paraplegics should pay more too. How about really tall folks? Maybe folks on supplemental oxygen?

If I've got any over 350lb readers in Shawnee County - if you need an ambulance ride, I'd also hire a lawyer because there's no way in my mind that this fat tax is legal.



[Hat tip to my sensei and friend Claudio Iedwab]