Ashland County to consider non-vaccination penalty for employees

Ashland County's Executive and Finance committees will consider what amounts to a $250 a month insurance penalty for county employees and members of their families who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19.

A joint session of the committees will take place in the Ashland County Board room at 9 a.m. Friday to consider the proposal.

Under the plan, the county would increase the employee portion of the health care premiums by $250 a month above planned increases in premiums. Employees who prove that they and their dependents, including spouses and children 12 and over, are vaccinated against COVID will receive an automatic rebate of $250 a month.

According to the health insurance proposal issued by the county, proof of vaccination can be provided with either a vaccination card or a printout from the Wisconsin Immunization Registry.

The change in policy was justified by taking into account the additional risk the county health insurance program takes by covering unvaccinated employees - "an additional risk that the county cannot afford to take," the document said.

"If the employee and their family chose to take the greater risk of contracting COVID-19 by remaining unvaccinated, then they should also take a greater financial responsibility in helping the county health insurance fund pay for that risk," the document said.

The document asserted that no one was being forced or mandated to be vaccinated and all employees would still be free to remain unvaccinated.

"All this proposal is doing is asking those who choose to remain unvaccinated to share in the county's increased financial risk associated with their personal choice," the document said.