Lawsuit alleges hospital charged higher premiums for unvaccinated employees

A federal class action lawsuit claims some St. Luke’s University Health Network employees were charged more for health insurance under the network’s mandate to receive vaccination against COVID-19, the Lehigh Valley News reports. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based St. Luke’s raised each employee’s health insurance premium by $1,100 in January 2022 but offered a premium discount to all vaccinated employees and unvaccinated employees with medical exemptions or deferrals to offset that entire amount, according to the suit.