Can the co. I work for leagally make me get a TB test, bill my insurance, & insist I pay the tab & refund me.?

Question

I have had an argument with my employer about this. I am an hourly administrative worker for a clinical research compnay and I work near their clinical lab where patients are seen so they made me take a skin TB test which I failed due to growing up in the developing world and must have been exposed at some point. The procedure after this is to have a chest X-ray done to see if you have ever actually had TB. So, I had to go to a hospital (I did this on company time) and get an X-ray.
When the bill came, they made me give them my insurance info so they could bill them for the procedure and then when the bill came for the remainder (for very little but this has become a matter of principal for me) they told me I had to pay it and they would reimburse me when I submitted an expense report.
This does not feel kosher to me and I don't want to pay this out of pocket and wait to be reimbused as this is something the company needed and not me. Is what the company did legal and/or ethical?

Answer 1

I am a Business Ethics Instructor.

You have several issues here.

Is this legal? Yes-Completely.

1. Required TB test- Yes that can be required by law regarding your profession. If you work in health care, education, medicine, beauty operators or with foreign travel, peoples or products.

2. This medical treatment "TB shot" is a requirement for the job.[like work boots, uniforms, specialized training] It is totally your responsibility to pay for this completely, so the fact they will repay you is a consideration on their part. You can check this "fact" out with your State health department.

Now the x-ray is not a requirement, yet it is apparently required by your company, due to the outcome The TB shot failure could be from other reasons, so don't assume it was your childhood home.

[I know this sounds strange, yet be thankful that they are doing it now. If you have any lung issues, you have insurance while your employeed and any serious issues are underlying, your sick leave is covered by FMLA, so your job is safe.]

3. Insurance and why claim it at all. Well actually its for your protection and to provide a medical paper trail to keep your health records current for the health codes required for that profession.

4. Employee payment and company reimbusement is for the protecion of the company. This a serious issue regarding fraud. Keep every reciept (copy for your files) from parking lot fees to every medical paperwork and submit them to HR with an itemized list of expenditures and total balance of monies due to you. Be sure to put a statement in the footer note: These are the current submissions, in the future other related bills may be forwarded to COMPANY NAME for reimbusement.


It is often an semi-annual of upon renewal of certification that healthcare physicals and shots. SO put some money aside for such. Be sure to talk to your tax preparer about write offs for these items as well.

I hope that answered your questions. Best wishes

Answer 2

The company has procedures against fraud and theft which requires the reimbursement policy.

You are standing on a very thin (almost nonexistent) principle here, as protection of the workforce, including you, from tuberculosis or any other communicable disease is well within the purview of corporate responsibilities.

Please cooperate with this process; within their accounting boundaries your company is attempting to take responsibility for your out-of-pocket expense for this situation.

Keep in mind that your firm is not responsible for whether you contracted tb prior to employment there. They did not have to let you get tested on company time. Do you want them to avoid people with third world backgrounds? Most native-born Americans have never been exposed to tb and would also be more familiar with what appears to be standard procedures for reimbursement.

Answer 3

It is legal, it is ethical, and it was in the best interest of both you and the company. If you are in an environment that could put others at risk of contracting TB from you, you will most likely be required to perform this test every 2-3 years. Every hospital or medical facility requires it of all it's employees that come in contact with patients. Stop feeling special, follow protocol, and all will be peachy.

Answer 4

Some companies I travel with won't let you book unless you have insurance. I'm all for it. When I go abroad on business I am sometimes in 4 European countries in 5 days - I have to have insurance, but at least the company pays for that. I understand it to be true, that in America, our ex-colonial cousins will not lift a finger until medical insurance or a credit card is produced. Maybe they have it right occasionally.

Answer 5

Ask your company if they can bill the tester directly, but this is the usual practice, you pay then put in expenses sheet and they reimburse you.
It doesn't matter where you are. Count yourself lucky the company cares enough to get you tested in the first place and everyone has the TB virus anyway it has just become dormant in first world countries populations mostly.

Answer 6

I think your approach is a bit wrong. First, if it was one of your work mates who was suspected of having TB or HIV or some equally dangerous disease, wouldn't you be wanting them to have some tests done?
I worked as a bus driver and every year we had to have a health check done. I ended up going to my doctor after the company nurse swore at me. My company would pay most of it and I had to pay the rest. I would also have to sign a consent from allowing the doctor to release the information to the company.
If you worried about billing affecting your medical insurance payments, then ask the company to arrange for the doctor to bill them directly.

Answer 7

Handling it in that way is legal, most companies require an employee to pay for expenses and later reimbursed through an expense report.

All expense on an company expense report MUST be made at the companies request or they would not be reimbursable.

Go ahead and disagree with your company and let an American fill your vacancy, please.

Thank you

Answer 8

It is more kosher for you to pay and for them to reimburse you, as this is an unusual occurrence. If they paid directly they would set a precedent of paying employee's medical claims and open themselves up to lawsuits.
Good luck with your health.

Answer 9

i agree with you, you shouldnt have to pay out of your pocket if this is what they asked you to do....i would call a lawyer to get advice. Even if the out of pocket isnt that much...its the fact its something your place of employment requested...good luck