Delta Air Lines said Wednesday it will begin raising health insurance premiums for unvaccinated employees to cover the costs of COVID-19.
Does Delta Air Lines require vaccines for employees?
Per CNBC, Delta Air Lines said it would increase premiums by $200 per month to cover COVID-19 costs. The policy will begin on Nov. 1.
- This is similar to a company raising health insurance premiums for smokers, which is a common occurrence in modern America.
Beginning on Sept. 12, unvaccinated Delta employees will need to take a COVID-19 test every week, especially as COVID-19 cases surge amid the delta variant’s spread, according to CNBC.
- “The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $40,000 per person,” Bastian said in a memo to employees, per CNBC. “This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company. In recent weeks since the rise of the B.1.617.2 variant, all Delta employees who have been hospitalized with COVID were not fully vaccinated.”
What airlines require vaccines?
Other airlines, like United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, have decided to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for employees.
- However, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have been adamant that they will not require vaccinations for employees, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
Do you need to be vaccinated to travel?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before they visit other countries. International travelers often need to be vaccinated before visiting other countries, too.
- “Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants,” the CDC said.