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Purdue Announces No Changes To Spousal Coverage For Now

By Samantha Horton, IPB News | Published on in Education, Health
(Samantha Horton/IPB News)
(Samantha Horton/IPB News)

Outcry from Purdue University employees has led the school to put a stop to a controversial policy change that would have excluded the spouses of some employees from receiving health benefits.

In an email sent to employees Tuesday morning, Purdue University Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Bill Sullivan announced that while no changes will be made now, the current spousal policy will be reviewed over the next six months.

Sullivan says after the decision was publicized last week, his office decided to rethink its plans – at least for now.

“We took a look at the feedback we were getting and the issues surrounding it and made the conscious decision over the weekend that we would delay the implementation of this,” he says.

The statement claims the university spends more than $4 million annually for spouses who could receive health insurance from their employers.

“We are subsidizing those employers by having the spouses remain on our plan,” says Sullivan.

He says the change would have only impacted spouses with employers that would cover 50 percent or more of the person’s healthcare premium.

The university estimated that about 4,000 families would be affected by the change if it went through.