Benefits April 25, 2001

Viagra Coverage Generates Discrimination Charge

April 25, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - An American Airlines flight attendant has filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claiming her employee health plan is discriminatory because it does not cover reproductive care for women - but covers Viagra for male employees.
Reported by

Martina Alexander, 36, claims that after being refused coverage for infertility treatments in 1999 she learned her health plan does not cover pap smears or birth control pills, but does cover Viagra for impotent male employees.

Her claim contends that American’s policy constitutes sex, pregnancy and disability discrimination.

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Gus Whitcomb, a spokesman for the 110,000-employee airline, said American’s three basic employee health plans cover all “medically necessary” procedures or medications, according to the Associated Press.  That can include drugs, such as Viagra, prescribed by a physician to treat male impotence.

In December, the EEOC found that excluding contraceptives from health plans discriminates against women, although the decision directly affected only two women.

Benefits April 24, 2001

Disability Coverage Inadequate for Many

April 24, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America and the American Council of Life Insurers has found that 40% of workers have no long-term disability coverage.
Reported by

Worse, nearly half of those that do, don’t believe the coverage is adequate.

Of the 500 workers surveyed,

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  • Two out of five had no long-term disability coverage
  • Almost three-quarters said that their finances would be adversely affected if they were unable to work for a year or longer.

“Under” Standing

Workers also have a poorer understanding of their disability benefits in comparison to their other benefits such as life insurance and retirement and pension benefits.

Of those covered by disability insurance,

  • some 43% said they did not know their basic long-term disability insurance benefit,
  • while 41% did not think their disability coverage adequate to protect their income.

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