domestic partner benefits

SC RN, RN · Jul 21, 2003

I am currently a Human Resources Manager (start Nursing School in three weeks and can't wait!!!) so I know a bit about this subject.

My employer did not offer domestic partner benefits when I started here but when I took over employee benefits, I had our health insurance provider, Blue Shield, write this benefit into our policy. We are a California based employer with less than 50 employees so by no means was this a requirement but I thought it was a great benefit to many. Our President was living with her significant other (she's a girl, he's a guy, together 10 years), our VP was living with her SO (she's a girl, he's a guy, together 6 years), one employee had been with her boyfriend for 12 years and I'd been living with my boyfriend for three years. None of our other halves needed coverage, they all had their own, but it was nice to have the opportunity to get coverage if it was needed.

And before this starts a moral argument ... all four of us women had been married before and burned before. We were all a little uneasy about taking the plunge again. I'm happy to say that four years later, three couples are still happily together (one got married, that was me) and one couple would still be together were it not for her untimely death last summer.

I think domestic partner benefits are wonderful ... :kiss

iliel · Jul 21, 2003

thank you for the reply, it's good to see that some co. are starting to reconginze that not all of us want to rush into marriage.

nurseman · Jul 22, 2003

Our benefit plan covers common law relationships. It is quiet a progressive plan too. Your spouse get the same coverage that you are eligible for, same sex couples are recognised and the coverage starts the day you move you partner in.

iliel · Jul 22, 2003

Is common law in Canada the same as the US? I have learned that when someone declares you common law here, you are legaly married, whether or not you had a ceremony. If you want to leave the person, you have to get a legal divorce! I never knew that!

It's so good to see same sex couples getting health care as well!

Cynthiann · Jul 22, 2003

Even though our state recognizes common law marriage but it's not recognized from an insurance stand point. My husband, last year before we got married, couldn't get any insurance on me before even though we lived together for a few years, had a couple of kids and bought a house together. To put me on his insurance he had to bring them a marriage certificate.

PJMommy · Jul 22, 2003

Last company I worked for (non-medical field) offered these benefits. Company was California-based.

My sis works for a research academy in D.C. and they have the same domestic partner benefit. In addition, they get wonderful health insurance benefits...a lot more health PROMOTION. For example, insurance pays for a good portion of health club dues, weight loss programs, etc.

I'm smack dab in the middle of the U.S. and have not heard of ONE company here that is offering it. Seems to be more common on the more progressive coasts.

colleen10 · Jul 22, 2003

The last IT company I worked for offered insurance benefits to same sex/domestic partners. This was about 4 years ago when they started offering it.

We had a lot of gay men and women who were in relationships with S/O's and were living with each other, adopting children together, etc. so it only made sense for our HR to try to extend these benefits to them. It worked to our advantage because we were a recruiting company too and to be able to offer this to perspecitve employees was a bonus.

I never spoke in depth with anyone that went ahead and got the coverage but I do know that if you were a gay couple and wanted the benefits for your S/O you had to go through an interview process with the insurance company so that they could be sure you weren't trying to scam them.

nurseman · Jul 24, 2003

Common law relationships are not considered marriages in Canada and you do not have to get a divorce when you split up. After a specific amount of time (depending on which province you live in) there are legal issues with property division.

Originally posted by iliel
Is common law in Canada the same as the US? I have learned that when someone declares you common law here, you are legaly married, whether or not you had a ceremony. If you want to leave the person, you have to get a legal divorce! I never knew that!
It's so good to see same sex couples getting health care as well!

fourbirds4me · Jul 24, 2003

I am in Oklahoma. My employer does not offer this. It specifically states "employee and SPOUSE". Not really sure how many people this affects.

iliel · Jul 25, 2003

Originally posted by fourbirds4me
I am in Oklahoma. My employer does not offer this. It specifically states "employee and SPOUSE". Not really sure how many people this affects.

you would be suprised how many people this affects. I quit work to go to school full time and it kills my boyfriend not to be able to cover me.

thanks for the info nurseman!