USG’s Well-Being Policy Regarding Tobacco Product Use: A Proposal for Changing from Opt-Out to Opt-In

Location

Faculty in Higher Education (Session 5 Breakouts)

Proposal Track

Research Project

Session Format

Presentation

Abstract

The University System of Georgia (USG) has a state-wide initiative aimed at increasing the well- being of faculty and staff (member) by incentivizing a decrease in tobacco product usage by members covered by a USG healthcare plan. This incentive is positive in that aid in stopping tobacco product usage is offered to each member; and negative in that each member who is a tobacco product user is penalized. A healthcare surcharge is added to the monthly health insurance premium paid by each faculty/staff member for themselves and covered dependents over 18 years of age who are tobacco product users. The current BOR policy is to consider the faculty/staff member and applicable dependents as users of tobacco products unless that member on annual basis opts out. The present authors propose that the default option be changed to that of members not being users of tobacco products. This paper includes summaries of the incidence of cigarette and tobacco product usage in the US, a summary of USG’s policies related to the current tobacco initiative, a brief literature review regarding opt-in and opt-out programs, and a discussion of the possible negative impact of the current USG tobacco use policy.

Keywords

USG, Tobacco Policy, Opt-In, Opt-Out

Professional Bio

Dr. Donald L. Ariail, CPA, CFF, CGMA is a professor of accounting at Kennesaw State University. Prior to entering academia, he was, for a number of years, a public accounting practitioner. He holds a DBA in accounting from Nova Southeastern University, a DBL from the University of South Africa, and is currently an EdD candidate at Georgia Southern University. He is the past president of the Gender Issues and Worklife Balace Section of the American Accounting Association (AAA), the Southeast Region of the AAA, the the Georgia Association of Accounting Educators. He has published in both academic and practitioner publications.

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Oct 2nd, 3:00 PM Oct 2nd, 4:00 PM

USG’s Well-Being Policy Regarding Tobacco Product Use: A Proposal for Changing from Opt-Out to Opt-In

Faculty in Higher Education (Session 5 Breakouts)

The University System of Georgia (USG) has a state-wide initiative aimed at increasing the well- being of faculty and staff (member) by incentivizing a decrease in tobacco product usage by members covered by a USG healthcare plan. This incentive is positive in that aid in stopping tobacco product usage is offered to each member; and negative in that each member who is a tobacco product user is penalized. A healthcare surcharge is added to the monthly health insurance premium paid by each faculty/staff member for themselves and covered dependents over 18 years of age who are tobacco product users. The current BOR policy is to consider the faculty/staff member and applicable dependents as users of tobacco products unless that member on annual basis opts out. The present authors propose that the default option be changed to that of members not being users of tobacco products. This paper includes summaries of the incidence of cigarette and tobacco product usage in the US, a summary of USG’s policies related to the current tobacco initiative, a brief literature review regarding opt-in and opt-out programs, and a discussion of the possible negative impact of the current USG tobacco use policy.