Louisiana’s Largest Hospital System to Fine Employees $200 Per Month If Their Spouse is Unvaccinated

Hospitals around the country have implemented COVID-19 injection mandates for healthcare employees to keep their jobs.

We’ve already witnessed the serious implications of staff shortages due to these mandates.

But some hospital systems won’t stop at their employees.

They’re coming after spouses of employees.

Ochsner Health is Louisiana’s largest hospital system.

Employees already face a COVID-19 injection mandate set to take effect October 29th.

But if those employees have an Ochsner Health Plan, they’ll get charged a $200 monthly premium if their covered spouse is unvaccinated.

Ochsner Health claims the surcharge is to keep health premiums low.

In reality, it’s financial coercion.

Since vaccinated & unvaccinated can contract and transmit the virus, Ochsner’s policy has nothing to do with health.

It’s another way to extort money from their employees.

BREAKING: #OchsnerHealth in LA is now mandating vaccines for spouses of employees.

If your spouse is on your insurance and does not get the jab, they will be imposing a $100 per-pay-period fee.

What started as a $100 incentive to get the jab has now turned into a recurring tax. pic.twitter.com/RBPGKmQj1I

— Jason Bailey (@iamjasonbailey) September 30, 2021

NEW: Ochsner will charge employees with unvaccinated domestic partners or spouses who are covered under their benefits plan an extra $200 a month beginning in 2022. https://t.co/vI3ZtofhVw

— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) September 30, 2021

Employees of Louisiana's largest health system who have a spouse covered on their medical insurance will be charged an extra $200 a month if the spouse has not received the COVID-19 shot. https://t.co/Rvt2cl7NYm

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) October 2, 2021

How Louisiana’s Largest Hospital System Is Punishing Staff For Their Unvaccinated Spouses https://t.co/N1FzP5Q3e3

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 4, 2021

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you. This is truly their latest insanity.

'Louisiana's largest hospital system will fine employees with unvaccinated spouses $200 a month if they don't get Covid-19 vaccine by end of month.'https://t.co/PLvVgJKMIX

— Kwame A (@KwameA009) October 3, 2021

The Daily Mail reported:

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.

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.

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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.

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.