According to our doctor, there is a new law related to Obamacare - they must drug-test you

[Xithras]

14. Sorry to break this to everyone, but it's actually NOT bullshit.

There is a provision in the ACA that allows insurers to charge up to 50% higher premiums for individuals who use drugs, including tobacco, and your insurance company can require annual testing for those substances. A number of insurance companies are reacting to this by simply requiring the screening during the blood test during your regular annual physical. It will be an invisible screening for you.

There is also a nullifying feature for the rate hike stating that you can't be charged extra if you are actively participating in any treatment programs. Because of that, there's some question as to how aggressively the insurance companies will be pursuing this, as a simple conversation with your doctor may qualify as a "treatment program", and they could end up spending more on testing and enforcement than they will actually collect in higher premiums. Whether the insurance companies will really implement this on a large scale remains to be seen.

On Edit:. The actual rule changes were a part of the CMS-9972-P rulemaking last year, which identified groups eligible for higher premiums. Smokers and drug abusers were at the top of the list.