Nevada will charge insured public employees upwards of $55 a month if they are unvaccinated against COVID-19, making it the first state to enact such a penalty.
The state's Public Employees’ Benefit Program Board approved the rule Dec. 2, which goes into effect for state employees and their dependents in July 2022, according to documentation released by the board on Dec. 2.
Nevada officials estimate that COVID-19 claims from state employees will total to $8 million in 2021.
The move is similar to policies from health systems like Louisiana's Ochsner Health, which announced in October a bi-weekly charge upwards of $100 for employees whose insured partners are unvaccinated. The Ochsner surcharge goes into effect in 2022.