In recent years, many health insurance providers have been considering implementing a surcharge on policyholders who engage in certain behaviors deemed unhealthy or risky, such as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. While this may seem like a reasonable way to incentivize individuals to lead healthier lives, the ethics of such a practice must be carefully considered. What is a health insurance surcharge? A health insurance surcharge is an additional fee that is added to a policyholder's health insurance premium for engaging in certain behaviors that are considered unhealthy or risky. These behaviors may include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, or obesity, among others. The idea behind a surcharge is to incentivize individuals to make healthier choices and reduce the overall cost of healthcare. The surcharge amount can vary depending on the health insurance provider and the specific behavior being targeted, and maybe a one-time fee or applied annually. However, the imp