CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A federal class action lawsuit alleges Atrium Health falsely claimed to be a government entity and cheated employees out of retirement benefits.
The Charlotte Observer reports a group of former employees filed the lawsuit Monday. The lawsuit says Atrium’s false claim allows it to skirt the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which requires employers to set aside minimum pension amounts. The act doesn’t cover government employees. The lawsuit says Atrium is not a government entity because it’s financially autonomous from the government.
The lawsuit also says employees are overcharged for health care provided by MedCost, a company co-owned by Atrium. Atrium was previously called the Carolinas HealthCare System and is Charlotte’s largest employer. Atrium declined the newspaper’s request for comment but said it would review the lawsuit.
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Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com
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