Imposing a health insurance surcharge on the unvaccinated

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

7-1-2022

Journal

The American journal of managed care

Volume

28

Issue

7

DOI

10.37765/ajmc.2022.89169

Abstract

COVID-19 hospitalizations among unvaccinated individuals cost billions of dollars. More employers are considering imposing a premium surcharge on employees participating in the company's health plan who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. These employers see this approach as similar to health premium surcharges for tobacco use, justifying the higher premiums on the basis that unvaccinated individuals could cause the plan to experience higher hospitalization and related costs. However, imposing a surcharge on unvaccinated employees will require employers to think through legal and policy implications and the interests of their employees and their businesses. Employers should weigh their vaccination goals against these interests and consider whether a legally compliant surcharge would further their goals. Employers should carefully consider the prevailing culture among their employees and assess whether the policy would be effective and noncoercive. Premium surcharges may be effective for some but not all employers.

Department

Health Policy and Management

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS