Tobacco Surcharge update

Thanks to collaboration between STEPP and the Department of Personnel and Administration (DPA), the State has decided to remove the Tobacco Surcharge for all state employee health plans, effective July 1, 2021. A tobacco surcharge is a variation in insurance premiums based on a policyholder’s (or dependent’s) tobacco use status. The State has reevaluated how it treats tobacco use and dependence to align with current evidence and recommendations, which show that surcharges do not encourage people who use tobacco to quit and can instead exacerbate disparities and hinder access to healthcare coverage and tobacco treatment for employees and their families. Access to quality, affordable health care is a social determinant of health. Higher insurance premiums hurt employees with lower incomes who use tobacco and opting out of coverage affects one’s ability to access covered cessation treatments and other essential preventive care services. If you’re interested in learning more about tobacco surcharges for your own work, visit American Lung Association’s resource on tobacco surcharges.

The associated files and links are available below.