The well-being and health of the public and private sectors converge in insurance rates that are based on risk assessment. Risks quantify the effects of various physical, social, occupational, and environmental hazards on mortality or life-expectancy. The costs of individual health habits (such as smoking) are distributed among the general public in the form of higher insurance premiums and more expensive medical care. Not only access to health care services, but the general quality of life, health habits, and lifestyle have been shown to affect the level of being at risk for a particular illness. Many diseases can be prevented by changing lifestyle patterns or health habits. The premium provisions of the 1991 Health Insurance Act of Russia attempted to grapple with these factors by linking individually chosen health practices to premium costs, providing incentives for changing lifestyle patterns and preventive medical care.