Between April 1 and May 15, PEBB benefit-eligible employees will be asked to attest to whether they and their covered family members use tobacco. Since 1990, employees have been asked a similar question in regards to the optional life insurance coverage they may be carrying on themselves or the spouse/domestic partner. If WSU already has a “non-tobacco” use certification on file for life insurance, why are we not able to automatically apply that certification to the medical premium tobacco-use surcharge?
The life insurance and medical programs are using different criteria (identified below), and due to these variations, employees are required to respond to the premium surcharge questionnaire separately.
Life Insurance Policy Questionnaire:
- Asks only the employee and their spouse/domestic partner about their tobacco use, and
- Asks if they have used tobacco products in the past 12 months
Tobacco Use Premium Surcharge Questionnaire:
- Asks employees and their entire covered family about their tobacco use, and
- Asks if they have used tobacco products in the past two months
Additional information about the Tobacco Use Premium Surcharge, including FAQ’s, can be found at www.hrs.wsu.edu/Benefits. Questions can be directed to Human Resource Services at (509)335-4521 or hrs@wsu.edu.
