Surcharges for state workers and adult dependents on their plans will go into effect in July 2022. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Nevada state workers enrolled in public employee health plans who are not vaccinated must pay a surcharge under a new regulation enacted on Thursday. This is the first requirement of its type in the nation.
Unvaccinated workers will be charged up to $55 per month to offset the costs of testing those who haven't gotten shots that are required in certain workplaces, according to regulations passed by the state Public Employees' Benefit Program Board.
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"This pandemic has been shouldered on the burden of everyone," said DuAne Young, policy director for Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak. "And now this particular burden — the testing — should be shouldered on the burden of those who refuse to (be vaccinated)."
Surcharges for state workers and adult dependents on their plans will go into effect in July 2022. Since the start of the pandemic, public-sector plans have covered all coronavirus-related testing and treatment for state workers. Although many other plans stopped completely covering testing when vaccines became widely available, insurance plans for state workers have continued to pay the entire cost.
In Nevada workplaces where fewer than 70% of employees have gotten shots, employees are required to be tested weekly to prevent the spread of the virus. Although President Joe Biden's workplace mandates face court challenges, if they go into effect, all unvaccinated workers will have to submit to weekly testing — a development that would significantly increase the state's costs.
Officials said coronavirus-related claims filed by state workers are on track to surpass $6 billion in 2021. By charging state workers and their dependents ages 18 and older, the plans will help offset the cost of testing people who refuse to be vaccinated.
Laura Rich, the benefit program's executive officer, said some public-sector plans, including for workers at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, have imposed surcharges on unvaccinated employees, but, to her knowledge, Nevada would be the first state to impose a systemwide surcharge on public employee plans.
Nevada estimates roughly 5,000 state workers and 1,250 employees of the Nevada System of Higher Education are unvaccinated. The state hopes that incentives and penalties such as the surcharge will convince more people to get vaccinated.
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
