The National Women’s Law Center has filed a sexual discrimination complaint with the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services against the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The complaint alleges that the university system excludes pregnancy coverage from the health insurance benefits provided to their employees’ dependent children in violation of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
“Pregnancy coverage is an essential insurance benefit for women,” said NWLC Co-President Marcia D. Greenberger. “Our message to every institution providing health insurance in the country is that treating pregnancy differently, including by omitting it from health insurance coverage, is sex discrimination pure and simple and as such violates the law.”
“When an institution excludes maternity coverage for the female dependent children of its employees, it means that young women on their parents’ plans receive benefits that are less comprehensive than those provided to young adult men,” said Judy Waxman, NWLC vice-president for health and reproductive rights. “Providing a less favorable set of benefits to employees’ daughters compared to their sons is not only unfair, it is also discrimination on the basis of sex.”
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education includes 14 publicly operated universities in every region of the Commonwealth. The system employs more than 12,000 professional and support staff.
Similar complaints were filed against Auburn University and Gonzaga University.