Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Health Insurance

Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Health Insurance
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 requires that any health insurance provided by an employer must cover expenses for pregnancy-related conditions on the same basis as costs for other medical conditions. An employer need not provide health insurance for expenses arising from abortion, except where the life of the mother is endangered.

Pregnancy-related expenses should be reimbursed exactly as those incurred for other medical conditions, whether payment is on a fixed basis or a percentage of reasonable-and-customary-charge basis.

The amounts payable by the insurance provider can be limited only to the same extent as amounts payable for other conditions. No additional, increased, or larger deductible can be imposed on any maternity health insurance coverage.

Employers must provide the same level of health benefits for spouses of male employees as they do for spouses of female employees.