Quit Smoking or Pay

In the state of Tennessee, former as well as current state employees are given a choice of either quit smoking or pay a $600.00 surcharge for health insurance starting in 2010. This not only includes the employees themselves but also if they have a spouse on their policy and the spouse smokes.

A $600.00 a year surcharge is going to be added to a person's health insurance premium beginning New Year's Day 2010. They are attempting to get people to stop smoking and thinking that an extra $50.00 a month may do just that. There is an estimated $3400 a year in productivity loss and health claims reported due to smoking-related illnesses in Tennessee.

The state is, however, trying their best to help people quit before the first of next year. They will be offering their employees drastic discounts on over-the-counter nicotine patches and nicotine gum beginning May 1, 2009.

They are also offering to let them go to a stop smoking program while still on company time. The first seminar took place in Nashville Tennessee this past Monday (April 27, 2009). All 95 counties in Tennessee will have these seminars coming up. They will also be holding "webinars" for those who cannot attend in person.

It is estimated that several hundred thousand dollars will be spent to help employees quit smoking. This cost is going to be offset by the surcharge as soon as the change takes effect.

Beginning this fall all state employees (including teachers) will have to fill out forms to say whether or not they or their spouse (if on the policy) smoke(s). If anyone is caught lying on this form, civil and legal penalties will be charged against them, and they will have to pay damages in the amount of $300.00 to the state.

If for some reason a person does not stop smoking before the deadline but stops smoking and stays smoke free for six months after the deadline, they will be refunded any money paid in to the surcharge.

Tennessee is joined by Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Alabama in putting a surcharge on smoker's health insurance premium.

This information has come from www.wbir.com (channel 10 in Knoxville Tennessee). Also, on their website they would like for people to post their views and opinions on this story. So, if you agree or disagree or just want to add your opinion, go to the above website and do so.

My opinion, I think it is a wonderful idea since it has been thus far that at any business everyone is having to pay for the extra costs of smokers' health insurance. I will be totally honest here. I smoked for years, but one day I just laid them down and never smoked again. So no one can tell me it cannot be done. Oh yes it can.

Source:

www.wbir.com

Personal opinion