Even in Iowa, married gays are still unequal in work benefits

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20090630/NEWS01/706309932

Published Tuesday June 30, 2009
Even in Iowa, married gays are still unequal in work benefits

By Elizabeth Ahlin
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Jacob Holman didn't think twice as he wrote the name of his new husband, Michael Walker, in the space marked “spouse” on the application form.

Holman, a respiratory therapist, didn't expect much to change after he wedded his longtime boyfriend in a quiet ceremony in May. But he was hoping to provide health insurance for Walker, a full-time student.

http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OW&Date=20090630&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=706309932&Ref=AR&maxw=490&maxh=275

But Walker could not be added to the company insurance plan. Holman's employer, Methodist Health System, follows the federal definition of marriage and does not consider the couple married.

Three months have passed since the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and gay couples are finding out that being married doesn't necessarily translate into spousal health benefits.

Of 27 major Iowa and Nebraska employers contacted by The World-Herald, four provide health insurance benefits to gay married couples.

Most employers have not changed their health insurance benefits to include gay spouses and, according to federal law, they don't have to.

FULL story at link.

[Ian David]

1. In Mass., two companies switched to federal health programs to avoid paying same-sex bennefits.

Those two bigoted Nazi companies are:

Caritas Christi Health Care: www.caritaschristi.org
Cumberland Farms www.cumberlandfarms.com

I'm not sure, but I think The Salvation Army did the same thing.

[LeftHander]

2. blame it on DOMA....nt

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. its never going to get equal, till its actually equal

these state gay marriages are just the first step.

[cecilfirefox]

4. It is re-assuring to see that some companies are treating their employee's equally. Makes me want

to shop more at the Hy-vee in Lawrence. :)

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. This is why equal marriage rights IS a federal matter.

I still think the fight also belongs at the state level because as more and more state legislatures do the right thing, it becomes harder for the hold outs and easier for federal law to change.

I am surprised how many people did not realize women had the right to vote in more than half the states prior to the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

This is a matter of equal protection under the law and that should be at both the state and federal level. Concrete consequences like these show us exactly why DOMA sucks and that federal laws have to change too.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

6. This Is Why We MUST Have Federal MARRIAGE Rights

This will keep going on because companies can fall back on the bigoted federal statutes. We have few rights until we attain marriage equality at the federal level.