Choose the topics of most interest to you to follow under "My Headlines".
Duke To Add Tobacco Surcharge To Insurance
Duke will add a $10 tobacco surcharge to health insurance in January 2013. Photo illustration by Bigstock.com
Durham, NC - Because tobacco use drives up health care costs and leads to chronic health problems, Duke will ask staff and faculty who smoke or use other forms of tobacco to pay more for health insurance beginning in 2013.
During the annual open enrollment period in October, employees enrolling in a Duke health insurance plan or verifying dependents online will be presented with a question about whether or not they smoke or use other forms of tobacco. Staff and faculty who are smokers or tobacco users will be charged $10 per month, beginning in January 2013.
"Tobacco use is linked to many cancers and other health conditions, so it drives up the cost of health care," said Lois Ann Green, assistant vice president of Human Resources-Benefits. "The surcharge is one way to emphasize this and is an added incentive for employees and their family members to seek support now to quit."
Duke will remove the monthly surcharge from an employee's health insurance if the employee successfully completes a tobacco cessation program. LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke's employee wellness program, offers free smoking cessation support options.
To encourage staff and faculty to quit smoking, Duke has ramped up efforts to publicize tobacco cessation programs and sponsored "Why I Want to Quit," a campaign for employees to share photos illustrating what motivated them to give up tobacco.
Sue Stanton, who quit smoking last November, submitted a photo of her two cats, Georgia and Tacoie.
Georgia and Tacoie. Photo courtesy of Sue Stanton
"Smoking not only harms us, but it also harms those who live with us," said Stanton, a clerk at the Duke Credit Union. "There have been times I was tempted to try a cigarette, but then I looked around at my cats, prairie dog and cocker spaniel and thought about what it was doing to them and me."
We encourage Duke faculty, staff and students to share ideas, collaborate and discuss issues on Duke Today. To post a comment, you must log-in with your Duke NetID and password. Any comments or materials that are inappropriate, disrespectful or violate Duke policies will be deleted. These may include statements or materials that:
- promote commercial enterprises;
- sell, or solicit offers to sell, goods or services for personal gain;
- promote a political candidate or political party; or
- violate policies regarding personal, proprietary or protected health information.
For more information, visit our guidelines for posting content.
Comments
You are not logged in. Please log in to leave a comment. Comments are restricted to faculty, staff, and students.
© 2013 Office of Communication Services
705 Broad Street, Box 90496, Durham, NC 27708
(919) 681-4533; FAX: (919) 681-7926
Home page features
Submit A Story Idea
We value your suggestions and feedback. Got an idea for a story, video or photo you would like to see in Duke Today?
Comments
How can anyone feel this is fair to freedom of choice. If this is the way we are moving in this society then those who are a certain percentage over ideal body weight should be charged more per month because obesity is a known healthcare risk and taxes the healthcare system. It coincides with diabetes, hypertension, disability, etc., all things that use healthcare dollars. Absurd you say well that is how smokers are feeling right now. It is absurd to think that you can single out one particular health risk over another just because it has been made to be so terrible to society. There are so many risks to health that this truely is unsetteling, and as already commented on, where will this stop?! This is truely taking things too far.
I think this is unconstitutional. There are many things that drive up healthcare costs. What about employees that use alcohol or employees that are obese. Is the next thing a "weigh-in" on a yearly basis so that people can be charged more according to their weight? What about heriditary? My mother and sister both had breast cancer. Does that mean you should charge me because I am at risk? I think Duke is carrying this a little too far.
I do not support this policy. There are many habits that lead to higher costs and I see this as a first step toward singling out groups for higher premiums or denial of coverage. As far as I can tell, the smoking fine depends on smokers identifying themselves. I think what will happen is that they will not out themselves, even to their doctors, which will compromise the care they might need.And where does this new personally tailored premium standard end? The next obvious step is to charge people more for being overweight or to deny claims for treatment diabetes or for lung cancer because the person brought it on themselves with poor habits. Smokers and fat people are easy targets and many people will support the punitive premiums.But couldn't the same rational extend to people who drink, people with high cholesterol, people with too many speeding tickets, or even people who drive instead of bike or walk to work? What I see here is a dangerous and slippery slope, one that could lead to certain individuals bearing a heavier burden of their health care costs based on the supposed riskiness of everyday conduct.The American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association have raised concerns about this penalizing strategy and warned federal officials about giving companies too much latitude. I support their argument that the leeway afforded employers could provide “a back door” to policies that discriminate against unhealthy workers.