Health insurer Ochsner Health of Louisiana is charging an extra fee for unvaxxed spouses and domestic partners. Employees already have a vaccine mandate.
Finally, Employers Start Charging Unvaxxed Like Smokers
Credit: Flickr
October 14, 2021

Enjoy your freedom, anti-vaxxers, and know that freedom comes with a cost.

In this case, higher prices for health insurance. Just like smokers.

Ochsner Health of Louisana requires their employees to be vaccinated or have a documented health exemption requiring weekly testing. Same as Biden's mandate for large companies. Now, the company's health coverage for spouses and domestic partners will charge an extra fee if that partner is not vaccinated.

It's a matter of passing along the massive cost of ICU treatment to the customer. "The fee is similar to what has been in place for tobacco users and is in line with the benefits offered by other health care organizations and companies, Ochsner's President and CEO Warner Thomas said in a statement this week."

Thomas noted that "the reality is the cost of treating COVID-19, particularly for patients requiring intensive inpatient care, is expensive, and we spent more than $9 million on COVID care for those who are covered on our health plans over the last year."

The vaccine is free. And not getting it will cost you.

But as some people say, freedom isn't free.

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