Tennessee is not the only one (Knoxville, Niota: 2011, health insurance, live in)

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Hey there everyone,
I just heard on the news.
I thought I would let you know so you don't feel too bad. A little while ago it was on the CD that TN was charging a fee also. Orange County, FL will start charging their employee's $25.00 per pay if they smoke, starting in January 2010. They say it is the help with the rising costs of health insurance. A crazy world we live in.
Hope you all have a great week and week-end too.

[Tinman313]

I know as Oct 2007 All State Parks in Tennessee are now smoke free... Building ~ Hall Way... Open link about half way down the list of rules and regulations......

http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/policies.shtml

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010

Hey there everyone,
I just heard on the news.
I thought I would let you know so you don't feel too bad. A little while ago it was on the CD that TN was charging a fee also. Orange County, FL will start charging their employee's $25.00 per pay if they smoke, starting in January 2010. They say it is the help with the rising costs of health insurance. A crazy world we live in.
Hope you all have a great week and week-end too.

I THINK that they are not doing that anymore.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010

Hey there everyone,
I just heard on the news.
I thought I would let you know so you don't feel too bad. A little while ago it was on the CD that TN was charging a fee also. Orange County, FL will start charging their employee's $25.00 per pay if they smoke, starting in January 2010. They say it is the help with the rising costs of health insurance. A crazy world we live in.
Hope you all have a great week and week-end too.

My little brother is a NC state employee and had to quit smoking last week because NC is imposing a huge increase in health insurance premiums to state emloyees who smoke, as of Aug 1.

I was stunned that NC did this, considering that tobacco is still a huge industry over there. But I'm glad it got my brother to finally quit smoking after all these years.

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

According to the news it will be enfored in January 2010. That employees that smoke will have a smaller pay check.
Or did you mean that TN isn't doing that anymore?

[MountainAire]

They'll trade smoking backer for chewing backer

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010

According to the news it will be enfored in January 2010. That employees that smoke will have a smaller pay check.
Or did you mean that TN isn't doing that anymore?

Yes. Last I heard, they were not doing that in TN.

[sassykat&joe]

Originally Posted by JMT

I was stunned that NC did this, considering that tobacco is still a huge industry over there. But I'm glad it got my brother to finally quit smoking after all these years.

Well geez, maybe they should make the restaurants non-smoking then. We had to walk out of a place on Wednesday because they had the non-smoking area closed for cleaning. Not that the air is that clean no matter where you are in a smoking restaurant.

[Jzer21]

Tennessee never was the only one. There were several other states that had Tobacco surcharge plans in place or were in the process of implementing them.

Back in June, the General Assembly passed legislation that postponed the implementation of this until 2011. As far as I know, this is still the case.

Benefits Administration - Department of Finance & Administration

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Jzer21

Tennessee never was the only one. There were several other states that had Tobacco surcharge plans in place or were in the process of implementing them.

Back in June, the General Assembly passed legislation that postponed the implementation of this until 2011. As far as I know, this is still the case.

Benefits Administration - Department of Finance & Administration

Thank you VERY much for this info. I just couldn't find it! I think I read an op-ed piece in the Knoxville Sentinel by a doctor and he said that the plan was scrapped. That's what I thought. It probably was published prior to June 16.