Visa International cancels health insurance for disabled workers

[arminnie]

Visa International - the parent company of all those Visa cards out there worldwide - just changed their HR policy to exclude medical coverage after two years for workers out on long-term disability.

I personally think this is AWFUL. If anyone needs medical covereage it is people out on disaibility - it will be virtually impossible for them to obtain coverage at any price.

Has anyone else heard of anything like this? Sounds awfully cheap - and VERY mean spirited - to me.

 

[SueM in MN]

On the surface it sounds like a very bad thing, but I would have to know more about it. I know that health care costs are one of the fastest growing costs for employers and employers are not able to cover them forever for people who are not working. Someone on disability for 2 years might have other avenues available to them that are not apparent to us on the outside.

 

[videogal1]

You can thank your Congress for the ERISA laws that put the balance of power into the hands of a business when it comes to managing their HR policies. It is not illegal for a company to demand that someone on company disability see the company doctor who, very likely, will pronounce the person fit to return to work despite the advice of the worker's own physician. If the employee does not then return to work he/she is fired..."legally..."

Hmmm, I wonder how I know this...

 

[McCall]

unfortunately it sounds like standard practice to me. I know at my husbands company they discontinue both disability payments and insurance if you become disabled long term.