Health Insurance and Employee Benefits for Live-in boyfriends?

[thewop]

So now that same sex marriage is legal everywhere, the employers who provided spousal benefits to sames sex partners of employees should be rescinding those benefits unless they're married, correct? Before the rationale was there that since same sex couples weren't allowed to be legally married, it was reasonable to allow for the benefits to be available. Now, if those benefits are left in place and the same sex couple isn't married, then companies will have to provide benefits to all significant others, regardless of marital status, correct? Or they should simply provide benefits for NO family members, and only the employee.

Glad I'm not making decisions on that can of worms... Here's what I believe should happen: The rules should be as they always were prior to allowing benefits for same sex partners who were not married. Either you're married, or you're not, and that's it.

 

[HallofFame]

Like anyone is going to listen to some dirty Italian.

But seriously good question. Do gays lose some of their protective status? I've always said everyone wants to be treated equal until they are treated equal.

 

[naturalmwa]

Why not go the other direction and just make it easy to add a person to your plan? Add your neighbor and your pen pal and your 6 lovers. Employer gets to charge them the full cost and gets to have a bigger pool to drive down costs. Win win.

 

[Joes Place]

Glad I'm not making decisions on that can of worms... Here's what I believe should happen: The rules should be as they always were prior to allowing benefits for same sex partners who were not married. Either you're married, or you're not, and that's it.

I don't have any problem with this.

Likewise, the issue of 'gay common-law' marriages is going to come up now. There most certainly are going to be unexpected consequences some folks who didn't realize the implications, but for many gays, now having access to health decisions, power of attorney, inheritance, etc with their partners, this is a game-changer in many people's lives.

 

[markfromj]

Benefits for domestic partners have long been in place, and in place regardless of same sex or opposite sex. The SCOTUS ruling should have no affect on this.

 

[HawkFantastic]

Before my wife and I got married we had two different auto insurance companies. If we went with mine they wouldn't give us multi-car discount because we weren't married. We went with hers because they did.

Her employer at the time offered +1 on health insurance, regardless of relationship.

 

[thewop]

Her employer at the time offered +1 on health insurance, regardless of relationship.

That's a savvy, and generous employer.

 

[joelbc1]

Before my wife and I got married we had two different auto insurance companies. If we went with mine they wouldn't give us multi-car discount because we weren't married. We went with hers because they did.

Her employer at the time offered +1 on health insurance, regardless of relationship.

Seems to me, THIS type of health insurance is what my ex-employer has offered for years. I think the choices were (are) "single", "employee + one" and a "family" plans.
I honestly don't know if ACA has changed this any. I believe it has more to do with the insurer/company than it does the law.