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.

I also posted this on the disability board.

 

[Pooh67_68]

If it is true.

 

[BedKnobbery2]

Although I certainly can feel sympathy for those affected by this policy, I have to say I would think Visa, or any business, has no choice but to implement such policy.

The last thing I would label that decision is "cheap" -- offering said coverage indefinitely for a non-productive former employee would be extremely--EXTREMELY-- expensive. I imagine the thinking is if an employee is out for 2 years straight, the odds of them returning to work are close to nil. Remember, they are a business, not a charity. Yes, it stinks, but what can you do?

 

[arminnie]

Originally posted by Pooh67_68
If it is true.

Very true - I have a copy of the official announcement on company letterhead.

 

[Octoberbride03]

Can you say class action Lawsuit?

 

[arminnie]

Originally posted by BedKnobbery2
Although I certainly can feel sympathy for those affected by this policy, I have to say I would think Visa, or any business, has no choice but to implement such policy.

Yes, it stinks, but what can you do?

The part that really stinks is that this is not covered under Cobra like a termination so it cannot be paid for by the employee. Retirees get medical coverage (they pay for it) but an employee on disability cannot keep it.

FYI - Visa has LESS than 5000 employees TOTAL in the US so it's not like the cost is outrageous - maybe 10 employees are on long term disability and this is a company that literally collects BILLIONS of dollars a day. During peak times there are almost 10,000 Visa transactions a SECOND in the US alone.

Most people do not have any idea how big Visa really is since it is not a public company.