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Senate Passes Gianaris Bill Outlawing Gender Discrimination in Disability Insurance

State Sen. Mike Gianaris

March 5, 2020 By Michael Dorgan

A bill outlawing gender discrimination in disability insurance has been passed by the New York Senate.

The legislation (S.3664B), which was sponsored by Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, prohibits insurers from using gender as a tool to determine risk when setting disability insurance policies.

If signed into law, the legislation would ban insurers from charging different rates based on the insured person’s gender.

“Small businesses should not be penalized for hiring female and gender non-conforming employees and this proposal would level the playing field for people in the workplace,” Gianaris said Monday.

“The deck is already stacked against women and gender non-conforming people in the job market and I am proud the Senate passed my legislation to make things fairer,” he added.

At present, gender is a determinative factor in insurance premiums and it can cost up to 50% more to insure a female employee than a male, according to Doctor Disability, a disability insurance brokerage firm.

“There are so many barriers to equality for women and gender non-conforming people in the workplace,” said Sheila Lewandowski, Executive Director of the Chocolate Factory Theater. “To change the cultures of discrimination we need to change laws that support it,” she added.

The bill will now go to the Assembly for a vote.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

6 Comments

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Hurt at work

Try dealing with workers compensation. Those insurance companies are the worst. They really try to destroy your life. Its a horrible system and your attorney will sell you out as quick as he can. Its the worst out of any insurance issue you will deal with in your life.

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Mario

Don’t buy insurance then. I also want to pay low premiums for high risk. But unfortunately the world doesn’t work this way. High risk = high premium, or the insurance companies stop selling insurance.

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Mario

The look on that face, as he slowly reaches into your pocket and if you resist he puts you in jail. It’s coming. And when everyone realizes it it will be too late.

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Anonymous

Insurance policies are driven by data. Let’s just disregard the scientific method and make it all political. What a bunch of far left malarkey.

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