Ex-Lippert Components Workers Sue Over Health Plan Smoker Charge

Lippert Components Inc. was sued Thursday by two former employees who say the recreational vehicle part manufacturer improperly discriminates against employees who smoke by charging them a health coverage penalty that can’t be fully avoided.

Lippert’s employee health plan charges smokers an additional fee of $936 per year—$18 per week—in order to maintain coverage, plaintiffs Dashon Gates and Yvette Bramley said in the lawsuit. Lippert allows workers who complete a smoking cessation program to avoid paying the surcharge in the future, but it refuses to retroactively credit workers for the fees they’ve already paid, Gates and Bramley said.

Federal ...