Poll: a Third of Employers Back Gay Health Benefits

[CShine]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A third of U.S. employers would extend health benefits to same-sex spouses, in the wake of a Massachusetts court's backing gay marriage and after the U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped the issue, a poll found on Thursday.

The survey of human resources officials at 216 companies found that 33 percent would be willing to extend health benefits to same-sex spouses, according to consulting firm Aon Corp.

The poll found that "if an employee requested that a health benefit plan recognize a same-gender spouse," the company would grant that request, according to Aon, which advises companies on employee benefits issues. About 40 percent of companies said they do not intend to honor such requests and about 28 percent said they didn't know what they would do. (The numbers slightly exceed 100 percent, due to rounding.)

"It is such a politicized issue that there will be more pressure on employers to examine their plans and look at the issue, or provide the benefits in the future," said Paul Sullivan, an assistant vice president at Aon. "It is not an issue that is going to go away."

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