Economic incentives to reduce employee smoking: a health insurance surcharge for tobacco using state of kansas employees

Abstract

Abstract Cigarette smoking has been clearly established as the single most important, preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. Employers are actively working to reduce smoking among current employees, and a growing number will not hire smokers. While most efforts have focused on either 1) helping smokers overcome their habit, or 2) banning or severely limiting worksite smoking, very little has been done to provide strong economic incentives for current employees to give up smoking. This paper reports on the planning and implementation of a $10 per month surcharge added to employee contributions for health insurance for persons employed by the State of Kansas. Family coverage is not affected. Also discussed is a similiar effort in the Colorado state employee group health plan.