To persuade employees to get the coronavirus vaccine, Delta Airlines will charge unvaccinated employees an additional $200 per month in health insurance premiums starting November 1st, CNBC reports.

A self-funded benefit provider, Delta Airlines noted that the cost of covering unvaccinated employees have higher health care costs, with in-patient hospital stays for coronavirus treatment averaging $50,000.  “This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company,” CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement distributed to employees Wednesday.  “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.”

The airline is also implementing a corporate policy that will force unvaccinated employees to take paid time off or sick days if they are sidelined with coronavirus after September 30.  Currently, Delta provides paid medical leave for employees isolating after contact. 

Bastian said 75% of Delta Airlines employees are fully vaccinated, and that every hospitalization for coronavirus in the last month have been unvaccinated.

Self-funded health benefit plans can set financial incentive programs through higher premiums or reduced co-payments to push those covered to take up or abandon habits that jeopardize their health.  Plans have incentivized smoking cessation, health club memberships, and other disease management programs to promote healthier lifestyles.