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The Nebraska government by Jan.1, 2009, will end the exercise of offering state employees different wellness insurance plans based on the ZIP codes in which workers live, the AP/Sioux City Journal reports (AP/ Sioux City Journal, 8/10). A lawsuit was filed last year in the Lancaster County, Neb., District Court alleging that state employees living in predominantly black ZIP codes were offered inferior health insurance coverage. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Sandra Cartwright, world Health Organization works for the state Health and Human Services System in Omaha.
The state changed its health insurance policy packages in 2007 by restricting employees' options based on where they lived. Employees living in one of iII ZIP codes in Lincoln and Omaha, where 96% of the state's black employees reside, had a choice of two Mutual of Omaha plans and two Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska plans. Both sets of options offered employees inferior insurance coverage, according to the cause. Employees living outside of the three ZIP codes had the option of a "importantly better wellness insurance plan" from BCBS that offered more extended coverage, more than in-network doctors and access to sealed national facilities. The Nebraska Association of Public Employees filed a grievance when the changes were made, but the grievance did not resultant in whatever changes to the plans (Kaiser Health Disparities Report, 11/5/07).
In July, Lancaster District Court Judge Paul Merritt dismissed the lawsuit and ruled that Gov. Dave Heineman (R) and other individual state officials named in the lawsuit own sovereign granting immunity against the allegations.
Meanwhile, the state decided to change its insurance package plan by making BCBS the sole health indemnity provider for the state beginning Jan. 1, "essentially stopping the use of ZIP codes," the AP/Journal reports. Roger Wilson, lag state health benefits administrator, said the change was a matter of cost savings and was not caused by the pending lawsuit alleging discrimination.
Lincoln attorney Kathleen Neary said, "Of course they're not going to admit our lawsuit played a role, but of course it motivated the change," adding that the new agreement with BCBS will see that "our client and other African-American state employees will be treated the same." An amendment to the case filed on Wednesday contains the same discrimination allegation, but adds that country officials should not be immune to the case because they knew or should take known that the policy was discriminatory. A spokesperson for State Attorney General Jon Brunin (R) aforementioned the office will once again ask the court to dismiss the case based on independent immunity. Neary said the plaintiffs have not distinct whether to follow through and through on the lawsuit at present that the practice testament end (AP/Sioux City Journal, 8/10).
Reprinted with kind permission from hTTP://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can thought the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email obstetrical delivery at hypertext transfer protocol://www.kaisernetwork.
