Workers who aren't vaccinated for COVID-19 should be prepared to pay more for health coverage

• Employers are considering raising health insurance premiums for employees who don't get a coronavirus vaccine.
• Unvaccinated workers may be paying up to $50 more from their paychecks for health insurance, $4.
• Companies across industries have been exploring ways to incentivize their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Companies are deciding whether to increase the cost of company health insurance to penalize employees who haven't gotten the COVID-19 vaccine.

Employers are searching for ways to minimize the risk of breakout infections when they $4 as the $4, $4, and $4

Firms ranging from manufacturing, retail, hospitality, financial services, and other sectors are considering raising health insurance premiums on workers who refuse to get the COVID vaccine. $4 to report on this potential trend.

"[Companies are] looking for something that's going to move the needle, and they're looking at a surcharge as a potential option for that," said Wade Symons, a partner at benefits consulting firm Mercer Health.

Unvaccinated workers could expect health premiums to increase anywhere from $20 to $50 per paycheck, enough to make a dent that would make people consider getting vaccinated, Symons said. Though companies are still in preliminary discussions, they hope to roll these policy changes "sooner rather than later" - aiming for the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022, he added.

Company-wide health insurance plans are based and penalized on workers' health risks, like higher premiums for smokers who are at increased risk for respiratory problems. Similarly, companies can increase plans for unvaccinated employees who are at greater risk of COVID-19 and its long-term health problems, which may end up $4 and costing health insurance companies more to cover.

Though unvaccinated workers may have the option to switch to $4, many would still have to continue their plans with the COVID-adjusted costs for the remainder of the fiscal year. Even then, group health plans are still typically cheaper than individual health coverage, Symons said.

Companies have been struggling with the idea of mandating COVID vaccines, which may $4.

A surcharge on health insurance "does feel like 'medium step' between the incentive programs that we've seen so far and a full mandate to require your employees to get vaccinated," Symons told Insider.

$4 and $4 began to require vaccinations for its employees to return to the office. Meanwhile, $4 have offered paid time off and transportation to get the vaccine, while $4 turned to cash and prize lotteries for their employees.