Some employers are considering adding a $20 to $50 monthly surcharge to their unvaccinated workers, according to a health benefits consultant group.
Symons didn’t disclose the names of the firms that are working to add surcharges to workers who haven’t received COVID-19 vaccines.
Several large companies, including Google, Facebook, and Walmart, as well as hospital systems and others, have mandated that their employees get vaccinated. And on Aug. 9, the Department of Defense stated that all military members will have to get the vaccine, coming more than a week after President Joe Biden announced that federal employees would have to either get the vaccine or be subject to routine testing.
“The rationale for adding a surcharge to health insurance contributions for unvaccinated employees is seen as similar to that for a tobacco-use surcharge,” he wrote. “If an employee is unvaccinated and contracts a COVID-19 infection, that creates higher claims costs, which can impact the employer’s bottom line, and mean higher future contributions for other employees. Beyond plan costs, there are the public health benefits of greater vaccination rates, in addition to workplace safety considerations.”
And any vaccine-related surcharge, Symons noted, would have to be compliant with the landmark 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, law.
Other than mandates from employers, some cities are considering requiring patrons at certain establishments to provide proof of vaccination via a so-called vaccine passport system.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said recently that theaters, gyms, bars, and restaurants will have to ask customers for proof of vaccination starting in mid-August, although enforcement isn’t clear. Los Angeles City Council members announced they are considering a similar passport-like measure.
The Epoch Times has contacted Mercer for additional comment.