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Insurance industry hazy on pot legalization

The legalization of recreational marijuana is causing complications for HR departments.

By Greg Glasgow | Updated on September 01, 2014
Though the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington is causing complications for HR departments, industry experts say it’s not having a big impact on insurance and premiums — at least not yet.

The fact that wwmillions of Americans now have access to legal, often very-potent weed has generally sparked no discussion or changes in the questions people are asked when they sign up for coverage, experts say.

“It’s had no impact on our policies toward health insurance, nor are we discussing any aspects of that. It’s a nonissue for us,” says Neil Waldron, chief marketing officer and vice president of strategic initiatives for Rocky Mountain Health Plans. “The only [time we would make a change] is if there were a regulation to come out at the state level or at the federal level related to how health insurance is or is not to be provided to people who smoke marijuana. We don’t currently have a policy, and if you smoke marijuana we don’t even know that, nor do we ask that.”

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