Employees of the Ochsner Health Center in Louisiana were informed Thursday that they would need to pay a monthly fee if their spouse has not been vaccinated.
In a letter sent to hospital workers, Ochsner Health, the largest hospital network in the state, warned employees that spouses listed as dependents on their insurance benefits would have to be vaccinated, or a $100 “Spousal COVID Vaccine Fee” would be deducted per pay period.
“New in 2022: Ochsner is implementing a Spousal COVID VAccine Fee as part of its 2022 medical plan premiums,” the letter to employees states.
“This means, if a spouse/domestic partner is covered by one of our medical plans in 2022 and unvaccinated against COVID-19, a $100 per-pay-period fee will apply.”
The fee could mean up to a $2,400 yearly deduction from workers’ paychecks, reports NOLA.com.
According to the letter, there’s currently no fee for unvaccinated children (12 and older) listed on health plans.
