As the Employee Benefits Manager at Immense Multinational Business (IMB), you are responsible for holding down the cost of employee medical insurance while still providing comprehensive quality medical care to IMB employees. Lately, you have noticed that some employees, usually those who smoke, have significantly higher medical claims than nonsmokers. Studies indicate that employees who smoke a pack of cigarettes daily have claims that are 18 percent higher than nonsmokers; smokers are 29 percent more likely than nonsmokers to have annual medical claims over $5,000. Estimates by the American Lung Association indicate that the medical benefits for smokers cost at least $1,000 more per year than for nonsmokers. Based on such information, you are considering whether IMB should impose an additional annual charge of $500 for medical benefits and insurance coverage on employees who are smokers. Would such an additional charge for smokers be legal? What arguments can you make for imposing the additional charge on smokers? What arguments can you make for not imposing the additional charge? Should IMB impose an additional charge? Explain your answers.

Understanding Business
12th Edition
ISBN:9781259929434
Author:William Nickels
Publisher:William Nickels
Chapter1: Taking Risks And Making Profits Within The Dynamic Business Environment
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1CE
icon
Related questions
icon
Concept explainers
Topic Video
Question

As the Employee Benefits Manager at Immense Multinational Business (IMB), you are responsible for holding down the cost of employee medical insurance while still providing comprehensive quality medical care to IMB employees. Lately, you have noticed that some employees, usually those who smoke, have significantly higher medical claims than nonsmokers. Studies indicate that employees who smoke a pack of cigarettes daily have claims that are 18 percent higher than nonsmokers; smokers are 29 percent more likely than nonsmokers to have annual medical claims over $5,000. Estimates by the American Lung Association indicate that the medical benefits for smokers cost at least $1,000 more per year than for nonsmokers.

Based on such information, you are considering whether IMB should impose an additional annual charge of $500 for medical benefits and insurance coverage on employees who are smokers. Would such an additional charge for smokers be legal? What arguments can you make for imposing the additional charge on smokers? What arguments can you make for not imposing the additional charge? Should IMB impose an additional charge? Explain your answers.

Expert Solution
trending now

Trending now

This is a popular solution!

steps

Step by step

Solved in 4 steps

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Inventory management
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, management and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
  • SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
Understanding Business
Understanding Business
Management
ISBN:
9781259929434
Author:
William Nickels
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Management (14th Edition)
Management (14th Edition)
Management
ISBN:
9780134527604
Author:
Stephen P. Robbins, Mary A. Coulter
Publisher:
PEARSON
Spreadsheet Modeling & Decision Analysis: A Pract…
Spreadsheet Modeling & Decision Analysis: A Pract…
Management
ISBN:
9781305947412
Author:
Cliff Ragsdale
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Management Information Systems: Managing The Digi…
Management Information Systems: Managing The Digi…
Management
ISBN:
9780135191798
Author:
Kenneth C. Laudon, Jane P. Laudon
Publisher:
PEARSON
Business Essentials (12th Edition) (What's New in…
Business Essentials (12th Edition) (What's New in…
Management
ISBN:
9780134728391
Author:
Ronald J. Ebert, Ricky W. Griffin
Publisher:
PEARSON
Fundamentals of Management (10th Edition)
Fundamentals of Management (10th Edition)
Management
ISBN:
9780134237473
Author:
Stephen P. Robbins, Mary A. Coulter, David A. De Cenzo
Publisher:
PEARSON