How can our organization reduce the prevalence of tobacco use among our employees?
USI’s compliance and population health management consultants advise employers on appropriate tobacco restrictions, incentives, and cessation programs to lower tobacco-related health care claims and other workplace costs. Additionally, we will work with you to create and implement contribution and communication strategies to promote behavior change.
Compared to non-smokers, smokers are 50% more likely to be hospitalized and have 15% higher disability rates.
We’ve estimated the financial impact for you. Feel free to update the assumptions.
- Reduced employee absenteeism and presenteeism
- Opportunity to positively impact workers' compensation costs
- Monthly incentive eligibility reports and employee program reminders
While every employee population is different, certain measures have proven to yield positive impacts over time, including:
- Establish a 100% tobacco-free workplace environment
- Implement a tobacco surcharge on the employee-paid premium for individuals who use tobacco. Keep in mind that employers who do this need to offer a reasonable alternative tobacco cessation program.
- Offer tobacco cessation counseling to employees and their spouses.
- Ensure the plan’s prescription drug benefits cover tobacco cessation aids, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, and that the pharmacy contract includes proper medical authorization for individuals who request tobacco cessation medications.
If the client organization has more than 50 program participants, vendors aggregate the physician data collection forms from the participants and provide clients with monthly reporting as to who has earned the credit.
No individual's physiological data is shared with the client. Due to HIPAA concerns, vendors do not provide aggregate reports for organizations with less than 50 participants.
USI Population Health Management Consultants will help your organization:
- Create a documented tobacco cessation policy in concert with your health plan design
- Communicate your strategy to all members at least 6 months in advance of the program’s implementation
- Identify reasonable alternative standards (allow members at least six months to complete the reasonable alternative standard before the surcharge takes effect)
- Implement tobacco affidavit
Benefits-eligible members sign an affidavit indicating their tobacco status. Those who designate as tobacco users can avoid the premium surcharge by completing the identified reasonable alternative standard and providing a certificate of completion. Those individuals who elect not to participate in the reasonable alternative incur the premium surcharge effective the following plan year.
I’d like to explore further how USI’s Population Health Management consultants can help our organization reduce the prevalence of tobacco use among our employees.
Let’s set up a meeting with a USI Population Health Management consultant to dive into potential cost-saving strategies, including employer tobacco policies.