It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the day we announced that those who use tobacco will pay higher health plan premiums than their tobacco-free counterparts.
I’ve been in benefits management for more than eight years, and I’ve come to accept that I will not, despite my best efforts, win any popularity contests with employees and their families. Still, I work for a “Minnesota Nice” company, and tobacco-user premiums are a noteworthy departure from the carrot approach we’ve been using to encourage healthy choices up until now.
