Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating whether Cintas employees were required to pay higher health-insurance premiums, lost premium discounts, or missed out on other health-plan benefits because they did not participate in certain employer wellness-program activities.
Publicly available benefits materials indicate that Cintas offers lower employee health-insurance premiums to participants who complete specified wellness-program requirements, including a health-risk assessment and other wellness activities. Although certain wellness activities may be described as voluntary or participatory, questions may arise if employees effectively pay more for health coverage by choosing not to participate.
These requirements may have included:
- completing a health-risk assessment or medical questionnaire;
- participating in wellness education or health coaching;
- completing online wellness modules;
- attending employer-sponsored wellness activities;
- participating in activity-tracking or wellness challenges;
- completing required activities before specified deadlines; or
- participating in other wellness-program initiatives to qualify for lower premiums.
Federal law places limits on how employers and health plans may administer wellness programs that affect employees’ health-insurance costs. Even when participation is described as voluntary, employees may have rights if meaningful financial incentives effectively require participation to avoid paying substantially higher premiums.
Employees may also be entitled to clear notice explaining available alternatives, accommodations, and how medical information collected through wellness activities will be used.
We Are Interested in Hearing From Current and Former Cintas Employees Who:
- paid more for health insurance because they did not participate in a wellness activity;
- lost a premium discount after declining to participate;
- felt pressured to participate in wellness activities to avoid financial penalties;
- completed required wellness activities but did not receive the promised premium discount;
- were required to disclose medical information they did not wish to provide;
- were not informed about available alternatives or accommodations;
- had concerns regarding the collection or use of wellness information; or
- believe the wellness program was confusing, unfair, or difficult to complete.
You may have rights even if the additional cost appeared on your paystub or benefits statement as a “wellness surcharge,” “premium differential,” “standard premium,” “non-wellness rate,” or as the loss of a premium discount.
If you participated in Cintas’ health plan and were affected by its wellness program, please contact Migliaccio & Rathod LLP. There is no charge to speak with us, and there is no obligation to take legal action.
If you believe you encountered these issues, we would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send us an email at [email protected], or give us a call at (202) 470-3520.
Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is a Washington, D.C.-based law firm that represents consumers and employees in class-action lawsuits nationwide.