Providing health insurance to employees and their dependents as a part of the employment package is a common practice among companies. And in providing these health benefits to their employees, employers are required by the law to follow the anti-discrimination and health plan enforcement regulations.
These regulations governed under ERISA protect the rights of the employees regarding their health insurance plans. The anti -discrimination law prohibits employers from creating distinctions when providing health coverage to employees or their dependents on the basis of their age, gender, religion, ethnicity or race. The employer cannot deny coverage to a currently sick employee or cancel coverage if an employee were to become ill. All pregnancy related problems must be treated the same as any other illness and discriminations cannot be made on the basis of disability or genetic predisposition to inheritable illnesses. All these stands true for employees as well as their dependents.
ERISA also holds the employer or company responsible to notify the employees of their participant rights, insurance claims and claim procedures. The plan participants and their dependents should be made aware of any changes made to the plans. Health plan funds should be managed according to the needs and interests of the individual participants.
If you are an employee and have questions regarding your health benefit rights, you should approach an employee rights attorney. An attorney will answer your questions and provide you with a clearer understanding of your rights. If you think that your employer might be violating federal laws regarding employee health insurance benefits, an employee rights attorney will be best able to guide you through your options.
