- Executives at some companies are now starting to charge unvaccinated workers more for health insurance premiums.
- They say they are doing so to encourage workers to get vaccinated and to offset costs incurred when employees are hospitalized for COVID-19.
- The policies are similar to those invoked on employees who smoke.
Most employees will continue to have the right to choose whether or not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19.
However, employees who decide not to get vaccinated could face higher health insurance premiums.
Many employers have tried offering incentives in order to encourage vaccination among employees, including cash payments.
But Delta Air Lines recently took a more aggressive approach when it announced that unvaccinated employees will be subject to a $200 monthly premium surcharge on their company-provided health insurance.
Surveys show that people in the United States are split on whether unvaccinated workers should pay higher insurance premiums.
For employers, however, the case for pushing employees to get vaccinated is clear.
In a memo to Delta employees, Ed Bastian, the airline’s CEO, noted that COVID-19 hospitalizations cost the company an average of $50,000 per case. He also said that every Delta employee hospitalized for COVID-19 illness during the previous few weeks had been unvaccinated.
“This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company,” said Bastian.
Unvaccinated Delta Air Lines employees also will be required to wear facemasks indoors and get weekly COVID-19 tests, according to Bastian.
In addition, salary protection for absences due to COVID-19 infections will only be offered to vaccinated workers “who are experiencing a breakthrough infection.”
Source: healthline