A lawsuit has been filed and is seeking class action status against the state for allegedly offering black employees inferior health insurance coverage compared to white employees. The lawsuit was filed in Lancaster County District Court and seeks to cover all current and former employees of Nebraska who were discriminated against based on their race.
The lawsuit alleges the state workers who live in Lincoln and Omaha were offered inferior health insurance than their counterparts in other parts of the state. State employees living in certain zip code areas, where some 96 percent of the state's black employees reside, were given a choice between two Mutual of Omaha plans and two Blue Cross & Blue Shield plans, which offered inferior coverage. However, state employees outside those zip codes had the option of a significantly better health insurance plan from Blue Cross & Blue Shield that had a more extensive network of doctors and better coverage.
The lawsuit is based on several US Supreme Court rulings and the 1964 Civil Rights Act that prohibits employment discrimination. It seeks better health insurance for state employees in Lincoln and Omaha and also asks for compensation for employees who paid higher premiums or received large medical bills for services that would have been covered under the better insurance plans.
