Opinion ID: 1567336
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Whether McNeel should be compensated for medical insurance and medical expenses incurred by virtue of her wrongful termination.

Text: ¶ 23. The back pay which McNeel received from the MDHS did not include expenses incurred during the period of her wrongful termination for COBRA and other medical insurance coverage, medical expenses, or prescription drug expenses. As a state employee, McNeel did not have to pay for her individual state health insurance coverage. This coverage included a $350 deductible, 80%/20% co-pay, and a prescription drug plan. From December 1999 through May 2004, however, McNeel was not provided this employee benefit. For the initial eighteen months, McNeel maintained insurance coverage via COBRA, paying individual monthly premiums of $170 from December 1999 through June 2000 and $196 from July 2000 through May 2001, totaling $3,346. From June 2001 through May 2003, McNeel was self-insured, incurring no expenses for insurance premiums. During this period, McNeel asserted that she would have received benefits totaling $5,281 under the state health insurance plan. In June 2003, McNeel purchased health insurance with a deductible of $2,500 through Gilsbar Insurance. The individual monthly premiums were $278 for six months and $338 for the five months thereafter, totaling $3,358. Additionally, McNeel presented receipts for nearly $1,050 in prescription drug expenses and $578 in medical expenses from the period of her wrongful termination. ¶ 24. The hearing officer determined that if she had expended some money, then I think she would be entitled to it. The August 16, 2005, order of the hearing officer, affirmed by the Full Board Order of the EAB, specified that [a]s an employee of the [MDHS], from the date of termination, it is incumbent that [McNeel] be provided the benefit of free medical insurance and if necessary to be financially reimbursed, if personal funds were expended for medical insurance, during this period of time.  (Emphasis added). The circuit court affirmed, noting that: Mississippi Employee Handbook, Section 8, 23-56 (July 2005), lists medical insurance as benefit that is available to Mississippi State Employees. There is substantial evidence in the record to support the full board's affirmance of the hearing officer's decision to only reimburse McNeel for any personal funds that were expended for medical insurance during her period of termination. ... This court will treat the EAB's silence on McNeel's request to be awarded the estimated value of having medical insurance as a denial. McNeel has not presented this court with any authority to support her claim for the estimated value of the benefit of medical insurance. Therefore, this court believes that the EAB's decision to deny McNeel's request for the estimated value [of] having medical insurance should be affirmed. (Emphasis added.) ¶ 25. Mississippi Employee Appeals Board Administrative Rule 24(A) provides, in part, that [t]he [EAB] may reinstate a prevailing party into employment with his or her responding agency and restore all his or her employee rights and benefits . ... Miss. Employee Appeals Board Administrative Rule 24(A) (emphasis added). The original order of the hearing officer, affirmed by this Court, provided that McNeel is reinstated to her position, with back pay and benefits . ... (Emphasis added). Under Section 8-Benefits of Being a State Government Employee in Mississippi, the Mississippi State Employee Handbook includes The State and School Employees' Life and Health Insurance. Miss. State Employee Handbook, § 8 at 23, 43. That subsection provides that the State pays the entire health insurance premium for all eligible active state employees. Id. at 44. Accordingly, this Court concludes that the EAB's decision to reimburse McNeel for personal funds expended on medical insurance during the period of her wrongful termination is supported by substantial evidence. [19] See Miss.Code Ann. § 25-9-132(2) (Rev.2006). Moreover, as McNeel provides no authority for her assertion that she should be reimbursed for the estimated value of the benefit of medical insurance, this Court likewise concludes that the EAB's decision to deny such reimbursement also is supported by substantial evidence. ¶ 26. Additionally, however, this Court notes that [b]enefits of the State and School Employees' Life and Health insurance include ...: (1) In-Network and Out-of-Network coverage[,] ... (6) Prescription Drug Plan. Miss. State Employee Handbook, § 8 at 44. McNeel provided documentation of $1,050 in prescription drug expenses and $578 in medical expenses from the period of her wrongful termination. The hearing officer stated that if she had expended some money, then I think she would be entitled to it. As such, this Court finds that reimbursement of the documented prescription drug and medical expenses was a benefit to which McNeel was entitled. Therefore, this Court remands this case to the EAB to determine if, but for her wrongful termination, any of McNeel's documented prescription drug and medical expenses would have been paid by The State and School Employees' Life and Health Insurance plan. If so, the EAB shall order the MDHS to compensate her for same.