And if we catch you smoking you'll be charge $25

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Recently, our hopsital made insurance adjustments which included employees having to certify that they were non-smokers or be charge $25.00 a week extra for health insurance. They have also begun to charge any employee that catch smoking on any hospital property $25.00 for every time they are caught. I'm not a smoker, but this is really taking things kinda far. I still see patients and family members smoking on benches inspite of them putting up additional signs and taking sown smoking hutts. Anyone else have this going on by them? I hear the next move similar to this is gonna be for the over-weight employees. I might have to find a new job then.

Specializes in Med-Surg, , Home health, Education.
Why not? You break the rules in a car and you get a fine...you are determined to be a liability to you're insurance company and your premiums go up. You break the rules in the hospital and you get a fine...you're determined to be liability to your insurance company and your premiums go up.

So what if your employer decides to start doing BMI's on all the staff. If your BMI is above the recommendations, you would be okay with paying a higher premium? You'd certainly be at a higher risk to your insurance company. I don't smoke nor am I overweight- I think fining employees who do something that is completely legal is over the limit. What's next??

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Oh boy, my BMI ranges from just barely overweight to , uhm, more year to year. Hope they do not start doing that here. Do I get offsetting credit for working out 60 to 90 minustes a day? Where does it end........................................................................

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.
So what if your employer decides to start doing BMI's on all the staff. If your BMI is above the recommendations, you would be okay with paying a higher premium? You'd certainly be at a higher risk to your insurance company. I don't smoke nor am I overweight- I think fining employees who do something that is completely legal is over the limit. What's next??

Actually, at my work we have a wellness program and if you dont participate in some way, then your co-pays and yearly out of pocket allowables goes up. They dont go off of your BMI, but you have to earn points each quarter by working out, eating nutritious and on and on... again, its an honor system, just like the no smoking thing.

Personally, I think its great. I am so glad most medical facilities have become smoke free. I was a smoker, for a loooooong time, I only smoked at lunch time though. Now that I have quit *for a year now woo hoo* I smell smoke and get sick. Not just in my mind, I begin to wheeze and cough and my chest gets very tight. Imagine how sick patients feel when you come around them after your 15 minute smoke break? Try as hard as you want, the smell simply does not go away. Its there, on your clothes, on your skin, on your hair... no amount of febreeze will actually take it away. I hate smelling a nurse (or any other professional, medical or otherwise) who smells of smoke. I am so glad I quit. Ok off my soapbox now, I could go on and on and on about how I think cigarettes should be illegal, but I wont :)

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Recently, our hopsital made insurance adjustments which included employees having to certify that they were non-smokers or be charge $25.00 a week extra for health insurance. They have also begun to charge any employee that catch smoking on any hospital property $25.00 for every time they are caught.

I have no problem with different insurance rates for smokers vs. non-smokers -- statistical actuarial data back this up.

However, a different matter is this hospital which "charges" employees found to be smoking on hospital premises (is it a payroll garnishment?). Most municipalities have ordinances in place which provide the legal basis for penalties, i.e. a fine for smoking where it is prohibited, but I doubt a private business such as a hospital has any legal basis to collect "fines". The hospital is free to involve law enforcement to enforce legislated prohibitions against smoking in certain areas, but from what has been written here it seems they're skipping over that step. :uhoh3: This should be challenged.

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Specializes in Infusion, Med/Surg/Tele, Outpatient.

Do they also fine for other violations of the employee handbook, like dress code infractions? Or a 10$ per fingernail for acrylics? Maybe they should also fine for bad teeth. It really gives an unprofessional look to have bad teeth. Maybe the smokers at this place need to get together and get a lawyer....smoking is an addiction, and is also legal. Maybe the smokers can keep records on who eats junk food and give them tickets.

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Specializes in floor to ICU.

Where does the $25 fine money go? Into a fund? Who gets to spend it? And on what? Curious....

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Do they also fine for other violations of the employee handbook, like dress code infractions? Or a 10$ per fingernail for acrylics? Maybe they should also fine for bad teeth. It really gives an unprofessional look to have bad teeth. Maybe the smokers at this place need to get together and get a lawyer....smoking is an addiction, and is also legal. Maybe the smokers can keep records on who eats junk food and give them tickets.

Smokers are not a protected class so getting a lawyer will do nothing. Also, alcoholism is an addiction as well as being perfectly legal, but no one would advocate for being allowed to drink on the job. (Although, frankly, one beer a shift is reasonable I think. :) )

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

This is MUCH more loose in the rules than mine. Caught smoking on campus is suspension, second offense termination. My husband's insurance charges that $25 per pay or something comparable for smokers.

The hospital gets cheaper insurance rates for all the employees that way. The "high risk" pay more. As a smoker, I"ll happily pay it and not complain.... but others be wary. This will move to measuring your BMI, we already do high risk mandatory cholesterol screens... (might cost you more $$ next year)... Are you diabetic... now you have to have blood drawn for your A1C (glycohemoglobin).

Now I've been HTN since 18, but well controlled through diet, meds and exercise... despite a good BP check will my rates raise... I"m betting in a few years they will...

and before I'm off my soap box... genetic testing is next. The insurance company will charge you more for diseases you are high risk for in the future but don't have now. I've hope I've upset you with the possibilities enough to make calls to legislature, congress, senate.. and get out and vote. Don't just be angry, make the change happen, what ever your political beliefs are. This is coming and it is the new wave of insurance, don't be fooled into thinking it will never affect you.!:mad:

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.

I don't think this is over the top at all- the whole smokers are a protected class nonsense is such a load of crap. It is an unhealthy addiction that directly, negatively impacts others- the end.

I spent a good deal of time during school on a renal unit and say several pts. who were a healthy weight no DM type 2, but were long time smokers and that was enough to spin them into the spiral of HTN followed by renal failure.

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This is MUCH more loose in the rules than mine. Caught smoking on campus is suspension, second offense termination. My husband's insurance charges that $25 per pay or something comparable for smokers.

The hospital gets cheaper insurance rates for all the employees that way. The "high risk" pay more. As a smoker, I"ll happily pay it and not complain.... but others be wary. This will move to measuring your BMI, we already do high risk mandatory cholesterol screens... (might cost you more $$ next year)... Are you diabetic... now you have to have blood drawn for your A1C (glycohemoglobin).

Now I've been HTN since 18, but well controlled through diet, meds and exercise... despite a good BP check will my rates raise... I"m betting in a few years they will...

and before I'm off my soap box... genetic testing is next. The insurance company will charge you more for diseases you are high risk for in the future but don't have now. I've hope I've upset you with the possibilities enough to make calls to legislature, congress, senate.. and get out and vote. Don't just be angry, make the change happen, what ever your political beliefs are. This is coming and it is the new wave of insurance, don't be fooled into thinking it will never affect you.!:mad:

Mandatory cholesterol screens? Wouldn't that be a HIPAA violation to reveal that to anyone but your doc?

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Specializes in Health Information Management.
Actually, at my work we have a wellness program and if you dont participate in some way, then your co-pays and yearly out of pocket allowables goes up. They dont go off of your BMI, but you have to earn points each quarter by working out, eating nutritious and on and on... again, its an honor system, just like the no smoking thing.

The whole BMI/exercise issue is going to run head-on into the ADA. I'll be glad to participate in healthy eating programs (I already basically do on my own, although my sweet tooth gets me into trouble), but exercising with my type of disability is virtually impossible. If the insurance company wants to pay for me to go to physical therapy (again) to figure out exercises I can do safely without throwing myself into frequent flare-ups or terrible muscle spasms, I'll certainly go, because I don't like being overweight. I used to be a long-distance runner and a swimmer, so I miss regular exercise. However, just "going to the gym" on my own without careful supervision and assistance isn't an option for me. For the insurance company to limit my PT visits to a certain number a year, then bump up my premiums because my BMI is over a certain number or I'm not exercising at the company-affiliated gym - sorry, that's stacking the deck.

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I don't think this is over the top at all- the whole smokers are a protected class nonsense is such a load of crap. It is an unhealthy addiction that directly, negatively impacts others- the end.

I spent a good deal of time during school on a renal unit and say several pts. who were a healthy weight no DM type 2, but were long time smokers and that was enough to spin them into the spiral of HTN followed by renal failure.

All addictions negatively impact others.

My grandfather smoked for over 60 years. The only medical issue he had was MILD emphysema. Worked up until the prostate cancer metastasized and made it impossible. No HTN, no CAD. The point is, smoking, like being overweight, can cause serious health problems, but it's not universal. Some people are overweight their entire lives and do not get DM, develop HTN, CAD or the other host of issues that accompany obesity. Some people smoke their entire lives and have minimal negative health effects. I think we would both agree though that the majority of the obese and smokers develop serious conditions related to their habits.

The point is, if hospitals and insurance companies are going to start penalizing employees, and people in general for unhealthy, but legal activities, then they need to put up or shut up. No alcohol, no fatness, no couch surfing, no speeding, no extreme sports, no pointy objects, no running with scissors, no swimming in the deep end without your floaties, and you must wear a helmet at all times.

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