Maternity and Insurance

[egghead]

What is the name of your state? MI

My company does not offer Maternity coverage as part of our insurance benifits. Is this legal or discrimination on the women that work in the office. I am ready to start having kids and I can not be put onto my husbands insurance until the open enrollment, which is not till the end of this year.

Is there anything that I can do?
Thank you - M

 

[Beth3]

If that is accurate, it appears your employer's health insurance plan is violating the law. The Pregnancy Disabilty Act, which was an ammendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, provides that an employer's health plan must cover pregnancy on the same basis that it covers other medical conditions.

If you're sure that what you understand is correct (I suggest you double check), then the agency to contact is the federal EEOC. Unless your employer is so small as not to be subject to this law or any similar State-level mandates, I really can't imagine an insurance carrier offering or underwriting a health plan that is in flagrant violation of the law. The carriers are typically extremely well-versed in this type of thing.

 

[egghead]

The company that I work for has about 20 employees as of now. I did call the insurance co. and so did the HR person, and there is NO coverage unless there is a problem with the pregnancy. They are looking into another possible plan but that may not go in effect until the end of the summer.

 

[Beth3]

Call your State's Insurance Commission and see what they have to say.

 

[egghead]

Where would I find that number at? Thanks

 

[Beth3]

Look in the back of your group health benefits booklet or plan document.

 

[egghead]

I am sorry to bother you again. I looked over all my paperwork, which is not much. There is no number but the ins. co number. Would it be easier to look in the phone book under govt. or call the ins. co and ask them for the number?? thanks again.

 

[Beth3]

Look in the government section of the phone book. Trouble is that I don't know the name of your State's Insurance Commission but if you can't find a listing, then call your State's department of labor (which probably goes by a different name too) and they should be able to steer you in the right direction.

 

[egghead]

Thank You SO much!!!! Your a big help. Have a great day

 

[Beth3]

You're welcome. The difficulty in arising in telling you exactly who to contact by name is that most States have given "feel good" names to their various divisions. In my State for example, the DOL is now the Department of Workforce Development.