Tobacco use surcharge

About the tobacco use premium surcharge

You will be charged a $25 tobacco use premium surcharge in addition to your monthly medical plan premium if you or any dependent (age 13 and older) who is enrolled on your SEBB medical coverage uses a tobacco product.

You do not have to pay this surcharge if you attest that:

• Neither you nor any of your enrolled dependents age 13 and older use tobacco products.
• You and all your dependents who are tobacco users age 18 and older are enrolled in your medical plan’s tobacco cessation program. Tobacco users age 13 to 17 are considered enrolled in a tobacco cessation program if they access information and resources in Smokefree Teen.

Enrolled dependents age 12 and younger are automatically defaulted as nontobacco users.

If your situation changes, you can later attest to the change. If you attest that you and your dependents have stopped using tobacco, your premium surcharge will be dropped.

What is tobacco use?

Tobacco use means any use of tobacco products within the past two months. Tobacco use, however, does not include the religious or ceremonial use of tobacco.

What are tobacco products?

Tobacco products means any product made with or derived from tobacco that is intended for human consumption, including any component, part, or accessory of a tobacco product. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Cigars
• Cigarettes
• Pipe tobacco
• Chewing tobacco
• Snuff
• Other tobacco products

It does not include:

• E-cigarettes
• United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved quit aids

How do I attest?

Sign in to SEBB My Account and select the Attestations tab. Select Yes or No for each individual listed.

If you do not have access to the Internet, you may complete and submit an enrollment form.

What happens if I do not attest?

You will be charged the $25-per-account premium surcharge, in addition to your monthly medical plan premium.

How do I report a change?

Use one of the following options to report a change to your previous attestations:

• SEBB My Account
  OR
• Starting January 1, 2020, complete and submit the 2020 SEBB Premium Surcharge Attestation Change form. You can use the 2020 SEBB Premium Surcharge Attestation Help Sheet to help complete the form.

When can I report a change?

You can report a change any time you or any enrolled dependents you reported as using tobacco products do any of the following:

• Stop using tobacco products for at least two months.
• Enroll in your SEBB medical plan’s tobacco cessation program (for ages 18 and older).
• Access the information and resources in Smokefree Teen (for ages 13-17).

You must also report a change if you or any enrolled dependent age 13 or older starts using a tobacco product, or stops participating in your SEBB medical plan’s tobacco cessation program.

When will my change take effect?

Changes that result in a premium surcharge will begin the first day of the month after  the status change (the date the dependent started using tobacco products). If that day is the first of the month, the change to the surcharge begins on that day.

Changes that result in removing a premium surcharge will begin the first day of the month after receipt of the attestation. If that day is the first of the month, the change to the surcharge begins on that day.