Not offering everyone equal healthcare

[Fates114]

What is the name of your state? PA

I have been working for a small business in PA for over 6 months now. Part of my 6 month full time employee package was to start receiving benefits the 1st of the month after my 6th month anniversary date. I work in a city in the Southwestern division of the company here in Pittsburgh and our home office is in Phila PA. In December I sat down with our HR manager and she explained I was eligible for 2 possible plans, 1 of which was free to employee, and the other, a PPO was $71 a pay. I cannot afford the more expansive insurance so I opted for the cheaper plan. I filled out my paperwork as planned sent it to our HR director and today I get a phone call from the companies insurance agent claiming I am unable to be covered on the lower policy because our office is in the opposite part of the state and they only insurance I can be offered is the more expensive plan. Our HR director has been out and will be for another week or so, however I was told by my boss it’s the only option possible. Is this fair that they are able to offer a free health insurance plan to all employees in the Eastern Division but not our office? We all work for the same company and the same person signs our checks. Advice please!!!What is the name of your state?

 

[cbg]

It may not be fair, but it is not the employer's fault if the free insurance does not cover the entire state. They have to make decisions based on a number of different factors, including overall cost (the insurance may be free to employees but I assure you that your employer is paying, and paying a lot, for it); how many employees are in what areas; exactly what is covered; the size of the networks, if any, and so on.

The fact is, any employer who has employees in more than one geographic location is not going to be able to offer exactly equal benefits to all employees without paying HUGE amounts for it; amounts which will have to be passed on for the employees to help pay for.

What you describe is an unfortunate consequence of the high cost of health care in this country today. However, since geographic location is not a protected characteristic, unfair as it may be, it is not illegal.