Court rules denial of benefits to same-sex couples to be discrimination

Same sex insurance coverage ruling The chief judge in a San Francisco court has deemed the denial of insurance benefits for a same-sex spouse to be a discriminatory act, and has ordered that the couple in the case be compensated for the costs they incurred for private insurance. The case involved the same-sex spouse of a federal court employee who had been denied insurance coverage. However, those payments may not be fast to arrive, as the courts will now consider the Defense of Marriage Act’s constitutionality, as this law from…

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HealthCare.gov update helps same-sex couples to find affordable health insurance

A new update to the HealthCare.gov site has been designed to make it easier for same-sex domestic partners to obtain non-group market health insurance coverage. Though it is a significant step forward, it is acknowledged by many that there is always room for much more improvement. The update allows consumers to search for and compare different insurance plans on HealthCare.gov that are offering domestic partner coverage. This website is the government’s health care reform resource, which is maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services. The site, which is…

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Pennsylvania: Domestic partner health insurance update

In York, Pennsylvania, the domestic partners of city employees will be getting new options for health insurance. Late Tuesday night, the York City Council passed a resolution that would make same or opposite gender domestic partners eligible for health coverage as part of benefits offered to city employees. The coverage will begin at the end of a 30 day open enrollment period. The coverage will also extend to the children of domestic partnerships until the age of 26. Couples will need to prove that they depend on each other financially…

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