Health Insurance Coverage Cambridge, Massachusetts MA
Filed under: Health insurance agent, Instant health insurance
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.
Tags: health insurance
Gay-friendly health insurance
Filed under: Health insurance quotes, Instant health insurance
For many gay men who have AIDS, they are faced with a double problem: first, once they’ve tested positive, it is nearly impossible to find affordable insurance if they didn’t already have it through an employer, and even if that is the case, difficult once more if they lose it; second, there’s still the problem of finding a gay-friendly health insurance provider.
One great option is the AIDS Health Insurance Program, which is available to those who find themselves straddling the health insurance fence–those who make too much to get Medicaid, but not enough to afford the high prices of high risk insurance.
In order to be eligible for this gay-friendly health insurance program, you have to be unable to get Medicaid, and also have some kind of health insurance when you apply. Short term health insurance is a cheap, one time option you can use if you can make the effort to just insure yourself long enough for the application. However, you can’t just assume you aren’t eligible for Medicaid, even if you look on the Medicaid website for your state and see right there that you make to much–you first have to fill out an application and be denied, so that you can have this proof when you go get your insurance. It’s a hassle, but it’s worth it.
Online gay friendy health insurance quote
Filed under: Health insurance quotes, Instant health insurance
Q: Should I get my gay friendly health insurance quote online?
A: There are a lot of advantages to getting your gay friendly health insurance quote online, and one of the greatest is that you are able to more easily compare health insurance companies. Rather than looking for health insurance companies the tedious, old fashioned way, you are able to get instant rate quotes and spend as little as 20 minutes on this.
Another advantage to getting your gay friendly health insurance quote online is that you have so many resources at your fingertips which will allow you to find a company which is right for you. There are gay websites all over the internet which offer information on which companies have the most gay friendly policies, towards domestic partnership, AIDS treatments, and so on.
You can also check with your state department of insurance to see how the insurance company is faring concerning complaints. The complaint ratios differ in every state, but normally it’s a good indicator of how the company acts.
Quote for health insurance
Filed under: Health insurance quotes, Instant health insurance
Q: How can I get a quote for health insurance for a domestic partner in Texas?
A: First, you have to find out which companies in your state offer a quote for health insurance for your domestic partner. If you are currently insured through your employer, it might be a good idea for you to call up your company and throw out some questions about whether or not your domestic partner is eligible to be insured along with you and what effect that will have on the costs of your coverage.
Domestic partner health insurance availablility may also depend on the state and how it defines a domestic partnership, and this could affect your quote for health insurance.
In Texas, there are several companies which offer domestic partner coverage, and here is a short list:
- Atena
- Ameritas
- CIGNA
- Great West Life
- Guardian
- Kaiser Permanente
- Mutual of Omaha
- New York Life and Health
- Pacificare
- United HealthCare