Employees who use e-cigarettes may pay more for health insurance (Modern Healthcare, Cincinnati Business Courier)
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Employers are increasingly starting to categorize e-cigarette use as tobacco use, when it comes to health insurance plan surcharges. According to the National Business Group on Health, using e-cigarettes is tobacco use and should be treated as such by employers.
In 2014, UPS will charge employees $150 per month more for their health plan, if they use tobacco, including e-cigarettes. Wal-Mart also places employees who use e-cigarettes in their health plan’s “tobacco user” classification; their health plan has two classifications: non-tobacco user and tobacco user. In 2013, 42% of employers added a monthly surcharge for tobacco-using employees. Learn more in the August 29, 2013 Modern Healthcare article and the September 3, 2013 Cincinnati Business Courier article.