Advocate Aurora Health Sued Over Health Plan’s Tobacco Penalty

Advocate Aurora Health Inc. was sued Wednesday by two former employees who say the health system improperly discriminates against workers who smoke by charging them more for health coverage without a valid option for having the penalty waived.

Advocate employees who use tobacco products are charged an extra $1,300 each year for health coverage, and they can avoid this penalty on a forward-looking basis if they participate in a smoking cessation program, the employees said in a proposed class action complaint. This program violates federal law because it doesn’t give workers an avenue for having the entire penalty removed ...