By While the #MeToo movement has given women the opportunity to open up about sexual harassment, the broader issue of diversity and inclusion is something that needs attention from all businesses. Inclusion isn’t just about gender or ethnicity, but can include people who have different life experiences and work styles, such as contractors or part-time employees. It can also mean including more people from the LGBTQ community. This is important because if people don’t feel welcome in your workplace, they may not stay for long.
Retirement Health Insurance for Same-Sex Couples: Inclusivity Matters
One way to show that your company cares about its people is by offering benefits like maternity leave and flexible scheduling. Another way is to offer retirement health insurance to your employees’ domestic partners, regardless of their gender or sex. This is important for a variety of reasons, from ensuring that everyone has access to the same benefits as their spouses and children to keeping families together.
In a lawsuit filed today, the ACLU is challenging the state of New Mexico for denying the same-sex partners of lesbian and gay state retirees access to domestic partner coverage in Medicare Part B. The suit says that this policy violates the state’s equality guarantees because it discriminates against employees who have been legally married to their partners. The case also points out that the state’s current policy of denying domestic partner coverage to these same-sex couples after they retire is illegal under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The good news is that more than three-quarters of firms Go to site that provide health insurance coverage to opposite sex spouses also offer the same benefit to same-sex spouses. Interestingly, this percentage is higher for larger firms. Of those with 200 or more workers, 95% offered the same-sex spouse coverage. By contrast, only 73% of smaller firms did so.
This is a change that’s likely being driven by the Supreme Court decision in Bostock, which made it legal for companies to offer workers’ compensation death benefits to LGBTQ spouses and partners. Many states have laws that require workers’ compensation coverage, and the decision in Bostock means those policies now need to be updated to reflect the court ruling.
The availability of same-sex spousal health coverage is increasing at a rapid pace, though it remains less common than access to opposite-sex spouse coverage. In addition, the number of firms that don’t offer this option is declining. If your firm hasn’t done so, consider asking HR whether they plan to add the benefit or not. If they do, ask how soon and how much it will cost. You can also mention how important it is to you as a workforce. You may be surprised at how quickly a few conversations can make a difference in your organization’s culture and commitment to its people.
