Health Insurance Coverage Cambridge, Massachusetts MA

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Reader’s Question:

My partner has health insurance coverage from the company where he works here in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Does this coverage also work for me even though we are not married?

Dante

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dante, generally, employers are not required by any law to offer health insurance coverage to their employees, spouses and domestic partners. In the same way, those employers that offer health insurance coverage to their employees are also not required by any law to extend the health insurance coverage to the domestic partners. When I say domestic partners here, it includes same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex couples. These provisions are under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

It is always the prerogative of the employers whether they would offer health insurance coverage to their employees or not, or whether those that offer health insurance to their employees would extend the same coverage to their employees’ partners. But throughout the recent years, the number of employers who offer domestic partner benefits is already rising. I think this is to attract more employees with a competitive benefits plan.

Furthermore, in some states, there have already been laws passed which are in favor of the domestic partnership rights. There already are laws in some states granting same-sex couples almost all the benefits that married opposite-sex couples enjoy. But as far as I know, provisions governing health insurance are still in the process of being written, and no one knows yet what shall be under them.

For you to know if you are going to be covered as well by the health insurance offered to your partner by his company, I suggest that you tell your partner to discuss this with the people in his company there in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who are in charge of this benefit. I am sure they can give him answers.

 

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Gay friendly health insurance agent

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The way to find a gay friendly health insurance agent is pretty simple–just ask. Once you have a list of possible insurance agents, start calling and finding out which one’s are gay friendly. It’s a lot easier to do this over the phone, and it also saves a lot of time. You can also ask around among friends, or call your local gay community center to get recommendations.

Once you have a gay friendly health insurance agent, you’re pretty much set. The agent is your path to finding gay friendly companies, and they can help you locate a company which offers both good quotes and also has policies which help those with domestic partnerships, gives no exam coverage, and can help in such things as artifical insemination or implantation treatments for lesbians trying to concieve.

Some people choose not to bother with an insurance agent at all, though. For one thing, there is almost always a fee associated with this, and it’s also true that much of the information you need can be found independently online or through gay community centers. You may try to save yourself some money and just look up health insurance quotes yourself.

Gay friendly health insurance

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Even with health insurance gay friendly doctors are still a must for most GLBT folks. Everyone’s been through that uncomfortable experience when, some way or another, your sexuality has come up while you’re sitting vulnerable on that patient table, and the awkward silence that followed as you waited for the doctor’s reaction. Not all doctors are accepting, and so in order to avoid possibly bad experiences, it’s important to find a doctor who is gay friendly health insurance will cover, too.

Here are some tips:

• Ask people.
• Call a GLBT community center or medical association. Most of the time these places, even if not necessarily geared towards medical concerns, can help gay people find the health care they need from the right people.
• Give the doctor a prior visit. Instead of waiting until you need to see a doctor, find out where s/he stands first. Call up and ask what the office’s policies are on gay people, or just head to the clinic and take a look around for gay friendly materials.