Louisiana's largest health system is ratcheting up the pressure to get people vaccinated against COVID-19 and will start fining employees hundreds of dollars each month if they are married to someone who is unvaccinated.
Ochsner Health has told its workers it will charge them a monthly premium of $200 if a spouse or domestic partner covered under an Ochsner health plan have not been vaccinated.
Ochsner has said all employees must be vaccinated by October 29 to keep their jobs.
Louisiana’s largest hospital system, Ochsner Health, will charge employees a fee for spouses and domestic partners who are not vaccinated against Covid-19
An email sent to employees explaining the policy of fines or 'fees' was sent out this week
President and CEO Warner Thomas said the surcharge for unvaccinated spouses and partners is part of an effort to keep health premiums low for employees.
As a self-insured organization, Ochsner bears the cost of COVID treatment for patients who are on its insurance plan. Unvaccinated people account for the vast majority of the health system's COVID patients.
'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,' Thomas said in a statement.
The COVID vaccine fee for spouses will begin in 2022 and could deduct up to $2,400 yearly from the employee's paycheck.
Ochsner Health President and CEO Warner Thomas, pictured, said the surcharge for unvaccinated spouses and partners is to keep health premiums low for workers
The fee is only for domestic partners or spouses, not other dependents such as children who are covered by the employee's health insurance and are eligible for vaccination, according to a letter Ochsner leaders sent to employees.
Thomas said the surcharge isn't a mandate because spouses and partners can choose other insurance coverage, and because they can also apply for a medical or religious exemption.
The announcement was condemned by some on social media.
Roughly 65.1% of eligible Americans have been fully vaccinated with about 45% from Louisiana
'This is a taste of what's coming. There is no end to the madness. Brace,' the Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian student activism organization tweeted on Friday.
'We were celebrated last year,' Adara Allen, a nurse from Indiana told Fox News this week. 'But a few nurses did end up leaving due to the hospital not accepting their medical issues or having a reaction or adverse effect to the first dose of the covid vaccine.'
In Allen's case, she was told to no longer attend the hospital after she refused the vaccine while she was pregnant.
Vaccine mandates in various hospitals across the nations is seeing nurses and other healthcare workers quit their jobs or face the sack if they refuse to comply with the rules.
Social media users were divided on the policy which has been announced by Ochsner Health
Protests have been held with those involved holding signs the read: 'We are still essential,' 'Say no to vaccines and yes to freedom of choice,' 'Healthcare heroes demand medical freedom,' and 'Don't fire last year's heroes.'
Meanwhile, Louisiana is trying to encourage more people to get the COVID-19 shot by offering them a cash incentive.
Governor John Bel Edwards announced Friday that Louisiana's 'Shot for 100' program, which has been offering $100 cash cards to college students who get vaccinated, is expanding to offer the money to anyone who gets newly immunized against COVID-19.
Those interested can get more info online at ShotFor100.com.
'If you've not yet been able to go sleeves up yet, we're hoping a cool $100 will help make the decision easier,' the Democratic governor's statement said.
More than 2.1 million people in Louisiana are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, about 45% of the state's population, according to health department data.
In August, Ochsner Health announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for its physicians, providers and employees, to be vaccinated by October 29
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