Question:
Has any one ever took walmart to court for discrimination
— sandy E. (posted on April 18, 2001)
April 17, 2001
Walmart chose to purchase a very low end policy (bare bones policy) for
their employees that does not offer WLS as one of it's covered
procedures.. Since they pay a portion of the premium for it's employees
they chose this route... it's saves & makes them $$$ .. Do they get
some sort of a kick back from the insurance company for keeping costs of
procedures that are covered to bare minimum while covering millions
of employees across the USA (what do you think).. What the Walmart
employees need to do is band together and demand better policies since
they pay for a share of it.. OR does as my daughter did that works for
Walmart ..She dropped their worthless plan and purchased one that covers
WLS as well as RX, Dental and Vision... and the premium was not that
much higher than she was paying through Walmart.. If enough employees
dropped their policy they might get the PICTURE... you think??? Just my
2 cents..
— Victoria B.
April 18, 2001
Insurance coverage paid for by an employer is a PERK, not a RIGHT. My
two-cents.
— Cindy H.
April 18, 2001
Just MY two cents worth. Overall, medical insurance is a perk not a RIGHT.
HOWEVER, morbid obesity kills, just like cancer. If a job offers
insurance that covers cancer, they should also cover morbid obesity.
Otherwise, that is discrimination.
— Jeannet
April 18, 2001
I am not responding to your question per say because I have never brought a
law suit against anyone but I did want to respond to the person that said
that insurance is a perk and not a right. I think that is an insensitive
response. I dont see insurance as a perk. IT is a business expense for
employees and their families that are devoting their lives to that
business. I wonder how people would feel if their child that had lukemia or
their wife that had breast cancer were denied coverage for a procedure that
could save their lives. I too am faced with an insurance plan that excludes
wls and I am devastated.Just my .02 for what its worth.
— Nicole R.
April 18, 2001
Found it interesting that the two people that said insurance was a perk
both had no problem getting their surgery approved. Perhaps you would feel
differently if your surgery had been denied.
To say insurance is a perk is a flippant remark by someone who hasn't a
clue what it is like to work for a company that doesn't offer it. Most
people that aren't covered with insurance are lower earnings workers who
can't just pick and choose which company they want to work.
— [Anonymous]
April 18, 2001
OK I guess I need to clarify my response. No employer has an obligation to
provide medical coverage to their employees. Nor must they provide
transportation, child care, vacation time, etc. Reality is that these
things ARE perks. If one doesn't like his/her present situation, perhaps
he/she can attempt to improve his/her current position. FYI: I made
$15,000 per year working full time while attending school full time in
order to have my current PERKS. I've had my share of lower end jobs.
Quite frankly, despite my difficult situation and lack of medical ocverage,
I didn't think it was my employer's responsibility to fulfill my needs.
The door swings BOTH ways. There's another two cents worth.
— Jeannet
April 18, 2001
Not to drag this conversation through the coals but insurance is not a
perk. It is something that legally most companies must provide. I have
never had insurance that I did not have to contribute to so I guess if I
did have that kind of insurance I would consider the lack of my paying into
it a perk but as long as a company employs a certain number of employees,
they must provide their employees with affordable health insurance.
— Nicole R.
April 19, 2001
I disagree. Access to proper health care and medical coverage is a
*right* and it's absolutely atrocious that the US has not clued into this.
If you're not working and you are on welfare, you qualify for medicaid
which will cover the surgery. If you're well educated and can pick and
choose between job A and job B, you're not going to work for a company that
provides substandard health care. The people who get screwed are the
working poor who have the self esteem and the courage and the ability to
work but not a WHOLE lot of options as to who to work for. Then, what
happens when they get sick? Or the need a life saving, life changing
operation like WLS? They're denied! What is the US saying to their
citizens? I'll tell you what they're saying -- quit your job, get on
medicaid, make no attempt to support yourself, and THEN we'll give you
healthcare. A sucky way to go about it, if you ask me.
— Alisa M.
April 19, 2001
Just wanted to point out that the insurance problem is not limited to the
"working poor" In my opinion it is a problem of discrimination
against the morbidly obese. I have a good job in management with a major
corporation. But I pay $120.00 out of every paycheck (biweekly) to have
insurance coverage for myself and my kids. I fought an exclusion clause in
my insurance for 4 months without success. I finally changed insurance
companies (I still pay the same)to get approval. My good fortune was that I
did have another option to choose. Many people in the same situation do
not. Get the laws changed to keep the insurance companies from
discriminating against the morbidly obese and it would solve most of the
approval problems. The employers need to educate themselves on what the
exclusions are. My benefits director had no clue about the surgery or
exclusion. I have educated him during my process and have written and
shared information with him. Most importantly I have urged that the
exclusions of all policies offered by my company (which is in several
states)be reviewed for its discrimination against morbid obesity. I don't
know if it will work, but at least I know I have brought the issue to the
attention of someone who can make a difference in our company.
— cheryl R.
April 20, 2001
Yes, there is a very valid point about exclusions with insurance being
disgusting and flagrant examples of discrimination against the morbidly
obese and I do not deny that this occurs, of course.
I was just responding to all the posts below that say insurance, and
therefore,
adequate health care is not a "right". Health care is a right,
and in the US,
it is mostly the working poor who are excluded from having insurance
period.
Once you have insurance, discrimination against the morbidly obese is a
different
issue and a whole new obstacle.
— Alisa M.
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