Associated Press
COLUMBIA --- Tens of thousands of South Carolina public employees and their family members who smoke or chew tobacco will pay an additional $25 a month for their state health insurance starting in 2010.
With a 3-2 vote Thursday, state budget officials made South Carolina the eighth state to charge state employees more if they or their spouses light up.
Gov. Mark Sanford called it a "small but meaningful step" toward making people responsible for endangering their own health.
"It's a case of recognizing cost," he said. "People ought to have complete freedom on how they treat their body," but said nonsmokers shouldn't have to pay for their co-workers' bad health care decisions.
Last year, tobacco-related illnesses cost South Carolina taxpayers $75 million, accounting for 7 percent of $1.1 billion paid out for public employees' health care, according to the state's budget board.
Under an honor system, nonsmokers must fill out an affidavit to pay the lower rate. Penalties for lying are not yet determined.
An estimated 58,600 South Carolina employees -- or 24 percent of all those working in state and local governments and schools -- will be paying more.
Some state workers called it discrimination.
"That's insane. They've already taken enough away from me as a smoker," said Jackie Nichols, a smoker for 40 years.
Others called it unfair, because smoking isn't the only bad habit that increases health care costs. Recognizing that, the governor said he's open to additional surcharges, such as for obesity. But he also wants to add incentives for people to make healthy choices.
